Lauralie Black and the Dragons of YorkshireYEAR 2
by Lauren Snape
Summary: Lauralie Black, the first of the Black family to not be sorted into Gryffindor, begins her second year. Mysteries still cloud her past. Her brother Sirius begins to try to protect her. But is he causing more harm than good? INCOMPLETE/SUSPENDED
1. The Beginning

This is the second part in the Lauralie Black Series. If you have not read Year one, you probably should. Just click on the author name up there ^^ and go read it. Though you may be able to understand the plot without it, it would greatly increase your enjoyment of the story to have read both parts.

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Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The Black home was not necessarily large, at least not by wizard standards. Most wizarding families were old and had managed to accumulate some wealth. So by the standards of you or I it would probably be viewed as a mansion. It had four floors and a large expanse of land spread about it. But Lauralie was perfectly content in her bedroom.

Lauralie held up the phial to the light to double check her measurement before pouring the chamomile extract into the simmering cauldron. The potion hissed and turned from a sickly green to a pale orange. She stirred it slowly.

"It looks like someone doesn't realize that school isn't in session at the moment," Remus said, leaning on the door frame, "and hasn't been for nearly two months."

Lauralie looked up at him for a moment but said nothing. Remus sat patiently in the doorway.

"Your hair has gotten longer," he said.

"I used hair lengthening serum," she said. "Brewed it myself."

Remus smiled. "It must have been a strong potion, your hair nearly reaches your hips," he commented. "So… what are you brewing now?"

Lauralie didn't answer as she poured the potion from her miniature cauldron into a large glass beaker, and capped it for storage.

"Do you ever pay attention in Potions?" she asked.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is more my thing," he said.

Lauralie sighed. "It's a healing potion, if you pour it into a flesh wound, not a big one mind you, but a minor one, it will heal it."

"I imagine that comes in handy when you're a Slytherin."

Lauralie ignored that comment. She opened up a leather case and placed the potion in the holder inside, along with a couple other potions she had made.

Why are you in here Remus?" Lauralie asked. "Shouldn't you and my brother be off somewhere blowing something up?"

"I came her to give you your birthday present," he said.

She looked up surprised. "My birthday isn't until tomorrow," she said, "and even so, why are you giving me a present?"

"I know, but I won't be here," he said. "My mother is sick. She wants me to come home for a bit. I leave tonight." He handed her a rectangle package wrapped in green paper.

She looked up into his face. He looked pale and had deep purple circles beneath his eyes. _His mother is sick?_

"Wait till tomorrow to open it," he said, "or at least humor me enough to wait until I've left."

"Goodbye Remus," she said. "I'll see you at school. And I hope you feel better."

Remus looked minorly shocked. But Lauralie looked confidently up at him.

"Not much gets past you eh?" he asked.

"Nope, besides, look at yourself," Lauralie said. "You are as white as a ghost. And that isn't right when you've been spending so much time outdoors."

"Remus, your mother is here," Rainelda Black called from downstairs.

"Well, I guess that means I'm leaving," he mumbled. "See you soon."

"Yeah, soon."

He turned and walked out of the room. Lauralie went and sat on her window ledge and looked out. The Knight Bus sat in their front lawn. She watched as Mrs. Lupin (looking in good health) led her son into the bus. The doors clambered shut and the vehicle disappeared in a flash of light.

She tore off the green paper of the package to reveal an impressive leather bound book entitled Advanced Potions for the Adventurous Soul. She opened up the cover to see, in Remus' neat script, a note.

__

"Not that I want to overly encourage this obsession you have with Potions. But somehow I thought you'd find this useful."

Love, Remus"

Lauralie smiled.

"Where'd you get that?"

Lauralie looked up to see that her mother had come into the room.

"Remus gave it to me, birthday present."

"I always knew Remus was the sensible one."

Lauralie laughed. She had yet to really speak to her mother, especially about the cloak, or the possibility that Wesley Black was not her birth father. Perhaps she wasn't ready to face it. Or perhaps she wanted her mother to come to her and explain.

At the beginning of the summer Salazar spent several weeks flying back and forth between Severus, Lucius, Narcissa and herself carrying the opinions and theories about the note she had found on her way home, and the words upon it ("You are the Heir of Slytherin"). And as of yet no conclusion had been met. Lauralie was sure though that the handwriting matched that of the letter that accompanied the Cloak of Destiny at Christmas."

"Where have your thoughts run off to?"

Lauralie looked up at her mother. Rainelda seemed to draw back.

"Well, dinner isn't going to make itself," Rainelda said. "I'll call you down when it is ready. Or… I'll send up one of the boys."

Rainelda Black was afraid of the truth. The truth could destroy her marriage, and break apart her family. Though she knew Lauralie had to suspect it, and would totally piece the truth together in time. That is, if her father didn't piece it together for her.

"You OK Mum?" Sirius asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, yes dear," she said. "What are you doing in here?"

"I wanted a snack-"

"Absolutely not!" she said. "Dinner is in an hour. Now off with you!"

"I think my mother's gone bonkers." Sirius said, walking back into the shade of the tree where James and Peter were lounging. "She came into the kitchen looking all panicky."

"She's been acting preoccupied all summer Sir," James said. "Don't tell me you just now noticed."

"I'll tell you it's got something to do with Lauralie," Sirius said. "I'm not sure how. Its almost as if she's afraid of us finding out something…"

HE gazed up at the sky and watched as Salazar swooped into Lauralie's window.

When the boys came in to dinner Lauralie was already sitting at the table. Sirius sat next to her. He couldn't help but notice that she smelled like an apothecary, the scent of crushed herbs clung to her.

"When are your friends getting here?" Sirius asked. He and his sister had learned how to be at least a bit amiable to each other.

"Tomorrow morning," she answered. "Mrs. Malfoy is going to stay for lunch mum. Got a letter from Lucius a few minutes ago."

"Wonderful, I haven't talked to Melissa in ages," Rainelda said.

"Are you ready for your birthday?" James asked.

Lauralie shrugged. "They say that after a witch or wizard turns twelve, their true powers begin to surface," she said, taking a bit of her chicken.

The table fell silent again, James wondered if the rest of the table was wondering the same thing he was. Wasn't she powerful enough?

Mr. Black cleared his throat poignantly. "Where do you get such nonsense from?"

Lauralie fixed him with a look before pushing her chair away from the table. "I'm not hungry anymore." She walked briskly out of the room.

Rainelda dropped her fork with a clang. "Why must you do that?" she snapped. "Why must you look down on every little thing she does or says?"

"Why must you condone her NONSENSE?"

"Um… I don't think I'm very hungry either…" Sirius said hurriedly before rushing from the room, his two friends rushing to follow.

Lauralie closed her door, but she could still hear them shouting.

"She is our daughter, and I will _always_ support her!"

"Oh, is she really 'our' daughter. Is she Rainelda?"

Lauralie sank down, her back resting on the door. She covered her ears with her hands and screwed her eyes tightly closed. Suddenly the glass light cover on her ceiling shattered. The glass of water exploded into a million pieces.

"Do you hear that?" James said, hearing the minor explosions. "What do you reckon that is?"

Sirius looked up as a window exploded outward on the third floor. "Lauralie!" They sprinted up the three flights of stairs to Lauralie's room.

Sirius tried the doorknob. _Locked…damn!_ "Lauralie open the door." He banged on the door. "Lauralie please!"

"She's gone bonkers," Peter muttered, backing into the far wall of the hallway.

"_You've _gone crazy," James said, joining Sirius at the door.

"Lauralie, are you OK?"

The explosions had stopped.

"I hate it when they do this," she said through the door.

"I know, so do I…" Sirius replied.

The door opened and there standing in the doorway, Sirius saw his little sister. For the first time in a while she wasn't Lauralie, the vindictive Slytherin queen, she was his sister.

"It's my fault you know," she said.

"No it isn't," he said with finality. "Come on, let us clean this stuff up. _Reparo!_"

* * *

Severus and Lucius arrived early the next day with Mrs. Malfoy. The children left to play leaving Melissa and Rainelda alone in the kitchen.

They sipped their coffee in silence for a while.

"He found her didn't he?" Melissa asked. "He's the one who sent her that cloak isn't he?"

Rainelda sighed. "That is what I believe," she answered. "That cloak was Tom's cloak."

"How could he have known?"

Rainelda shook her head. "Something about that cloak only working for the youngest descendant."

"So she was born, the cloak lost its power, and Tom knew…" Melissa said. "But why didn't he try to contact you, or her. I mean, it's been 12 years!"

"Do you seriously think I ever understood that man?" Rainelda asked. "I never could, not even in school."

She took a sip of her coffee.

"One thing I am sure about it, we haven't seen the last of him"

Melissa laughed briefly. "I never thought we had."

* * *

Lauralie, Severus, and Lucius were bent over her leather potions case.

"What's that on?" Lucius asked.

"Flesh healing serum," Severus answered for her. "What I'm curios about it this one." He picked up a light lavender potion.

Lauralie snatched it out of his hand. "It's acne medicine, thank you very much." She fitted it safely back into place.

"Have you worked any out of this book?" Severus asked, picking up Advance Potions for the Adventurous Soul.

"No, Remus just gave me that yesterday," she answered.

Severus' eyes flashed. "Remus?"

"Since when does Lupin give you presents?" Lucius scoffed. "You two aren't even friends."

"We are on friendly terms," she replied, taking the book and sitting it on her dresser, right next to the box containing the chess set Severus had given her for Christmas.

"It's almost dinner time, shouldn't Narcissa be getting here soon?" Lucius asked.

"Yeah, let's head down stairs," Lauralie said, leading the way.

"How's she getting here anyways?" Severus asked as the settled in the living room and began a game of exploding snap.

"Floo Powder I believe." Suddenly, as if on cue, the fireplace flared into life and in it appeared a small spinning figure.

Narcissa stepped out of the fireplace looking slightly shaken and they all went to the dining room for dinner.

It was Black custom to open the birthday presents after dinner, with everyone gathered around the table. Wesley Black was, mysteriously, missing.

Lauralie worked her way through her presents. Sugar quills from Narcissa. Ornate ink that changed colors as you wrote from Lucius. A jewelry box from Sirius. And then a small charm bracelet from Severus, with a small charm in the shape of a knight chess piece.

Then her mother brought her final present. Lauralie ripped off the paper to reveal a Shooting Star broomstick. Lauralie gasped. It was one of the finest brooms available at the time.

"Oh, thank you Mum," she cried, hugging her mother.

"Come on Laur, lets go test it out," Lucius said.

"It's late," Narcissa said.

"Oh come on, the full moons up," Severus said, "There's plenty of light."

He fastened his hand around Lauralie's wrist and led her out the back door. She looked up at the sky. For some reason the full moon felt significant to her, she wasn't sure why. She made a mental note. _Don't forget the full moon._

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Author's Notes: HEHEHE. I hope you guys are ready for a roller coaster ride, because we are finally going to get into some adventures in this one. As to all of you people so concerned with romance. There isn't really any. I mean, of course there are hints of crushes. Who of us didn't have a crush on someone in the seventh or eighth grade? But there won't be any _real _romance. A little in the next part, but none really till year four or five. Yes, I have planned that far ahead. I hope you guys enjoy. I'll see you in a week (yes, I will now have at least a weekly posting schedule). Don't forget to review. Please?


	2. Hidden Agendas

Author's Notes: FINALLY! I know I know. But in return for my belatedness. (I wonder if that is a word) I have a treat. It's a new project I have been working on called the HP Diary Central. Basically if you love Lauralie Black you will love this. You get to read the characters diaries. Severus, Lauralie, Narcissa, etc. And the best part, you can write one of the characters diaries if you want!

Come on, you know you'd love to, but you have to hurry cuz the names are going fast!! Here's the url

http://freeopendiary.com/entrylist.asp?authorcode=A736441

You deffinately won't regret dropping by.

NO MORE AUTHORALERTS! I no longer pay for FFN. Money is tight and it is a not quite necessary expense, so if you want to know when I post a new chapter you need to join the yahoo group. If you put it under special anouncements only you will ONLY get an email when I post a new chapter. Here's the address for that:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/slytherintales

This chapter is dedicated to Kelly and her friends (Kelsi, Holland, Jessica, Brad, Autumn, Sarah, Nichole, Daniel, Molly, etc. etc. etc.). A couple of you guys will be appearing once we get to Hogwarts. BE EXCITED! 

Anyways. Yes. Here we go. The long awaited chapter two. You'll never guess who shows up…

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Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)

Chapter 2: Hidden Agendas

Rainelda Black pulled on her rob as she rushed into the parlor. Robert Malfoy's head sat in the fire-place looking highly over-excited.

"Sorry to wake you, but my wife and I have to leave as soon as possible and we wanted to get in contact with you first," he babbled.

"Leaving?" she stammered, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Where are you going?"

"Yorkshire, the native dragons there, they've started to MIGRATE!!!"

Rainelda thought surely she must be dreaming by now. "Dragons don't _migrate_," she said incredulously. "They aren't _birds!_"

"that's why it is so incredible!" he exclaimed. "The only other recorded dragon migration was back when the Hogwards founders were still living."

It was clear that this was the most excitement the Control of Magical Creatures department of the ministry had had for years.

"Anyways, my wife and I were hoping you could handle seeing the boys off to school for us."

Rainelda blinked a couple times before realizing what he meant. "Oh, Severus and Lucius? Of course, what about their school things?"

"I'll have one of our servants deliver their trunks, and whatever money for supplies Lucius can take out of the account himself. Can't tell you how much we appreciate it. Good luck."

His head vanished with a pop before Rainelda could say another word.

She shook her head. "Dragons?"

* * *

"I can't believe they are still sleeping," Narcissa hissed.

"Boys are so silly," Lauralie agreed.

They watches as two well dressed servants carried in the boys two trunks.

"I'm bored," Narcissa sighed.

Lauralie had an odd smile on her face.

"Uh oh," Narcissa said. "What are you thinking?"

Lauralie's smile broadened, and she nodded towards the two now abandoned trunks. Narcissa was smiling now too.

"Lets do it."

They went to Lucius' first. It was highly ornat with the large Malfoy seal on the lid. Lauralie popped it open.

Laying across the entire contents of the trunk was Lucius' thick woolen cloak. Narcissa swung it over her shoulders.

"Oy, this think is sweltering," Narcissa gasped, tossing it into a chair.

"You never wondered why you don't ever see Luci shivering?"

"Hadn't really thought about it."

They moved on, sifting through Lucius' clothes. Lauralie was removing the contents of the trunk and piling it neatly on the table.

"Why are we taking everything out?" Narcissa asked as she was handed a pile of Lucius second year text books.

"Because, Lucius is sneaky." Lauralie said finally removing the final item. "And anything _good_ he has isn't going to just be lying about for any fool who opens his trunk to find."

She was running her fingers along the edges of the bottom. Finally there was a satisfying little click and Lauralie swung open a hidden lid to reveal a secret compartment.

"A false bottom," Narcissa said. "How very Malfoy."

The first thing they picked up was a bag of practical jokes from Zonko's.

"Giggle powder," Lauralie laughed. "Remind me never to leave my drink unattended near him."

But Narcissa was focused on something else entirely. She elbowed Lauralie. "Is that what I think it is?"

Lauralie's eyes widened as she picked up a copy of _Play Witch_ magazine, the cover of which sported a scantily clad women and the blurb: "ELVIRA- She's waiting to bewitch YOU!".

"How degrading!" Lauralie gasped. "I hate boys sometimes."

"I have an idea!" Narcissa said, rushing out of the room.  


"Wait, whre are you going?" Lauralie sighed. She opened the magazine out of curiosity, tilting her head to see the whole view. "Oh please, no woman is that skinny and has boobs that big. Is this what guys _look_ for?"

Narcissa came back in the room carrying an issue of _Teen Witch._

"Bloody brilliant!"

They put it in the trunk in place of the _Play Witch_ magazine. They giggled as they reassembled the contents of the trunk and snapped the lid closed.

They moved on to Severus' plain black trunk.

The first thing in the trunk was his copy of _Most Potente Potions_ that Lauralie had given him for Christmas. She smiled as she set it aside.

"It smells like an apothecary," Narcissa said. "No, I take that back. It smells like your room."

Lauralie laughed.

"Think this one has a false bottom too?"

"Doesn't look like it." Lauralie said as she picked up a plain green book. Embossed on the cover in silver were the initials "S. S.".

"Looks like our dear Sevi keeps a journal," Narcissa said. "Care to take a peek?"

"We probably shouldn't…" Lauralie said.

"Come on Laure," Narcissa coaxed. "Don't you want to read about how _crazy_ he is about you?"

"What are you on about?"

"Laur, you are brilliant, but you are oblivious," Narcissa said. "That boy's had a crush on you since the moment he laid eyes on you."

__

Severus? Have a crush on ME? Nonsense!

But still her curiosity was peaked. She could find out who he _did _have a crush on.

She opened the journal and promptly dropped it in surprise, for when she had cracked the cover it had started to scream.

Severus Snape sat bold up right in his bed. _Oh no!_

"Make it stop!" Narcissa shouted.

Lauralie picked up the book again and closed it. This however only served to muffle the scream only slightly.

Not that it mattered at this point, because in a flash Severus was in the room.

He snatched the journal from Lauralie's hand. The instant it came in contact with his skin it was silenced. For the first time Lauralie couldn't read his eyes. They seemed to reflect a twisted mixture of anger, frustration, and fear.

"Don't EVER go through my things without my permission," he shouted. "EVER!"

Lauralie shrank back, stepping away from him.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't speak, just turned and stalked out of the room.

"Busted!" said a sing-song voice from the other doorway.

Lauralie glared. "Shut up James." She shoved past him and stormed out into the yard.

* * *

Severus bursted into the guest room that he was sharing with Lucius.

__

That was too close. He thought. Pacing back and forth across the room. Lucius was snoring away in the other bed. Severus was fumbling around the room searching for a quill. Or even a pen. Any thing that would bloody write. He finally found one shoved away in a dresser drawer.

__

She nearly found you today. No. Wait. She DID find you today. But I reached her before she managed to read anything. Imagine if she had? She'd think me to be so pitiful. I doubt there is an entry in this entire journal that doesn't mention her name. She'd laugh in my face. To imagine that she could ever reciprocate my pitiful nonsense is foolish. No one can know how much I care for her. Wasn't this one of the Slytherin rules? If a person has the ability to turn you to mush you probably shouldn't share that fact. Makes perfect sense. I'll be sure to follow that one.

* * *

James was trying in vain not to burst into laughter as he re-entered Sirius' bedroom.

"And what, pray tell, was all of that bloody racket?" Sirius asked over top of his hand of playing cards.

"Well it seems our favorite Slytherin Keeper has a _diary_." James laughed. "The girls got a hold of it somehow but when they opened it the dang thing started screaming like a banshee."

"Snake's got a diary!?!" Sirius cackled. "Imagine the fun we could have if we got a hold of that!"

"I… I think we should leave Snape and his diary alone," Peter said.

"Afraid of snake, eh Peter?" Sirius asked.

"No!" Peter said as forcefully as he could. "It's his little girlfriend who terrifies me…"

* * *

Lauralie concentrated a moment before making her next move.

"They are so boring sometimes," Narcissa whispered.

Lauralie and Severus were sprawled on the floor deep into a game of chess. It was like a silent apology between the two of them. A battle on the board and it would be like nothing every happened.

"Can't one of you just WIN already?" Lucius groaned.

Lauralie threw a pawn at him and it bounced off his head, rattling to the floor.

Severus made a move.

"Checkmate."

Lauralie let out a long sigh. "I'm never going to beat you am I?"

Severus smiled. "One day."

"Finally, can we do something _interesting _now?" Narcissa begged.

"Such as?" Lauralie asked. "I'll be so glad when we are back at Hogwarts. There was never a shortage of things to do there."

"Or havoc to wreak," Lucius added.

"Havoc is always fun," Severus agreed.

* * *

[Diagon Alley]

Lauralie's cloak swished behind her as they made their way through the crowd of shoppers in Diagon Alley. Lucius and Narcissa had to practically drag Severus and Lauralie away from the apothecary. Not that it did them much good, because when they arrived at _Flourish and Blotts_ they headed straight for the potion making books.

"So, predictable," James pointed out as Sirius and he departed for the Magical Sports section.

"Lucius, how smashing to see you!"

It was Rita Skeeter. She hurried past Narcissa as if she wasn't even there. And threw her arms around Lucius.

"How was your summer?" she asked. "Been practicing for the Quidditch season?"

"Uh… yeah," he answered.

"WONDERFUL," she squealed. And then she was off on an endless ramble of gossip and news that, though Lucius clearly pointed that he wasn't interested in such nonsense.

She trailed him through the store as he picked up his books. It wasn't long before they found Severus and Lauralie again.

"Oh, Hello Rita," Lauralie said.

"SEVERUS!" Rita had thrown herself at Severus, locking her arms around him. "So good to see you. How's my favorite Keeper?"

Lauralie rolled her eyes. She exchanged glances with Narcissa and they both walked to the counter to purchase their books, ignoring the pleading looks the guys threw their way. They bought their things and made their way to the door.

"We're going to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, feel free to join us," Lauralie called over her shoulder.

Once back out in the hustle and bustle of the street the girls felt releived. 

"There are few Slytherins that I can't stand, and she is most deffinately one of them," Narcissa said.

"I totally agree," Lauralie said with a nod.

"So how long do you give them to shake her and show up again?"

"I could probably do a count down but it would seem so cliché."

"Hey, wait up," Lucius called from behind them.

"Faster then I thought," Lauralie laughed. "Nice hustle guys. I'm surprised she didn't try to come with you."

"She did," Severus said. "Till Ludo came in the store and we managed to pawn her off on him."

They laughed as they entered the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

Evan Rosier and Richard Wilkes sat silently at a corner table in the Leaky Cauldron. They looked mildly nervous and mildly excited. Across from them sat a dark, mysterious, heavily cloaked figure. His entire face was hidden beneath the hood of his cloak, though at times they could see his red eyes gleam in the candle light.

They sat in silence as Lauralie, Severus, Narcissa, and Lucius found a table across the pub, paying them no mind.

"She's beautiful isn't she?" the hooded figure whispered.

"Oh yes, quite," Wilkes agreed.

"Tell me, what do you know of her friends?"

Rosier cleared his throat slightly. "The the first boy, with the blond hair, is Lucius Malfoy. He's a Slytherin bigwig. You won't find anyone in our house who doesn't respect him. And you won't find anyone in the other houses who doesn't fear him. He's got the money and the influence if he needs it."

"Robert Malfoy's son?"

"Yes," Rosier answered.

"And the other young man?"

"That's Severus Snape," Wilkes answered. "Probably the smartest boy in Slytherin. Master at potions and is said to have known more curses when he first arrived at Hogwarts then even the seventh year Slytherins."

"Good. He will keep her safe," the cloaked man hissed. "I can see it. He will sheild her from harm."

"Not that Lauralie _needs_ protections sir," Wilkes pointed out. "She has quite the reputation, I hardly think anyone would try anything."

"Tell me about the girl."

"Narcissa Vanburen," Rosier answered. "Quite the little pistol that one. But bright. And loyal."

The figure took in a deep breath. "Can they be swayed to our… cause?"

"Yes, all of them most likely," Wilkes answered.

"Good. It is your job to make sure she does not involve herself too much with those not of our kind. That is why you are at Hogwarts. Don't forget that."

"Yes master," they both said bowing their heads.

"I'm glad we understand each other."

And without so much as a pop, Lord Voldemort was gone.


	3. Rumours and Reprimands

***This chapter is dedicated to all of my HP Diary Central writers. You guys are wonderful and a great inspiration. Keep up the good work!!!***

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Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)

Chapter 3: Rumours and Reprimands

* * *

"What part of 'we are running late' did you miss?" Rainelda Black shouted up the stairs.

"The part where that applies to us," Lauralie shouted back.

Rainelda shot an exasperated look at the boys.

They all shrugged.

"Girls," James mumbled.

Severus sighed. "I'll go get them." He looked at Lucius as if expecting him to volunteer to go with him.

"Don't look at me," Lucius said. "If **you** want to go into the lions' den then you are on your own."

Severus rolled his eyes before marching up the stairs. As soon as he opened Lauralie's door he had a bag shoved into his hands.

"Carry that," Lauralie said, strolling out of the room.

"OK, time to go," Narcissa declared, following Lauralie.

Severus merely groaned and followed them out the door.

* * *

The Hogwarts' Express chugged quietly along the British country side. Lauralie sat quietly reading Advanced Potions for the Adventurous Soul.

"You are awfully quiet lately," Severus said.

Lauralie looked up to realize that Narcissa and Lucius had vanished from the compartment. And Severus was looking at her with great concern.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, trying to turn back to her book.

"You're lying," he said firmly.

Lauralie looked up into his eyes and nearly had to turn away. There was just something about Severus Snape's eyes that made you want to confess your deepest darkest secrets.

"You ever just have an odd feeling that something is brewing?" she asked. "You can't explain what, or even why, but you can feel it building inside of you?"

"Something is going to happen this year?" Severus said. It was less a question and more a statement.

Lauralie nodded.

"You know, Hogwarts wasn't _nearly _as interesting before you got there," he said.

Lauralie couldn't help but laugh.

"What is so funny?" Lucius asked, as the compartment door slid open.

"oh nothing," Lauralie answered. "Where have you two been?"

"To see Ludo," Lucius said, taking a seat. "We lost a chaser."

"What? Why? No on graduated!" Severus exclaimed.

"Bulstrode transferred to Durmstrang," Lucius answered.

"Well, who are we going to get to replace him?" Severus asked. "All of the chasers who'd tried out last year were not good enough to play."

"Well the first years from last year will be able to try out," Narcissa said. "I am sure someone will manage."

Lauralie hid a small smile.

"And I thought we were set for this year," Severus groaned.

Lauralie stood. "I am going to go pay a visit to the little girl's room," she said. "Try not to have a coronary while I'm gone."

She exited the compartment sliding the door closed. She leaned gently against the wall, the beginnings of an idea slowly forming in her mind.

"Do I _want _to know why you have that self-satisfied grin on your face?"

Lauralie nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Hello Remus, you are looking better."

"Why thank you," he said, bowing slightly. "How have you been? How was your birthday?"

"I loved the book," she said, answering the question he truly wanted to ask.

He smiled. "Good, I'm glad," he said.

They made their way down the hallway.

"You came all the way down here because?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just looking for Lily," he lied smoothly.

Then, as if on cue, Lily came storming down the corridor.

"THERE you are, you left the compartment half an hour ago, we thought you'd gotten lost in the bathroom," she rambled.

"Looking for Lily?" Lauralie echoed in a whisper.

He shrugged sheepishly.

"Hullo Lauralie," Lily said. "How have you been?"

"OK," Lauralie answered.

"You don't mind if I steal Remus away do you?"

"Oh, no, I'm sure I'll make due without him," Lauralie said. "I was just heading this way. I'll see the both of you later."

Remus had a look of 'Why don't _I _get a say in this?' on his face.

As soon as Lauralie was out of earshot Lily spoke again.

"And how long were you standing outside her compartment waiting for her to come out?"

Remus opened and closed his mouth a couple times before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Fifteen minutes."

"How cute," Lily said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You do realize that Sirius would murder you if you tried to pursue his sister don't you?"

"Pursue?" Remus laughed. "What **are** you on about? Laur and I are just friends, besides, who's ever heard of third years actually dating. It's nothing!"

Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Is there a _reason _ you came to fetch me?" he asked. "Or were you just playing babysitter?"

"Oh," she said, suddenly put back on track. "Gildie stopped by the compartment to give Bridget a dozen roses."

"That boy will NEVER learn will he?"

"He thinks he's God's gift to women," Lily said. "Bridget just doesn't agree."

"So how many people did it take to restrain her?"

"Just Sirius actually," she answered with a slight smile. "I'm surprised she didn't go all giggly and lovesick when he touched her."

They both erupted into laughter.

What they didn't notice was Rita Skeeter emerging from a compartment near where they had been speaking. She sang quietly to herself. "Lauralie and Remus sitting in a tree." She laughed. "Severus and Sirius won't be pleased."

* * *

The Great Hall was all a bustle as the students took their seats. Every one was rowdy, having been reunited with old friends.

"I wonder if this year's sorting will be as interesting as last years?" Lucius pondered out loud.

"Doubtful," Severus answered. "Looks like a pretty average group, don't they?"

Lauralie gazed down the line of new students. There were a pair of identical twin girls among the crowd. And a girl who stood out because of her deep deep red hair and the intense scowl she had on her face.

__

Definitely a Slytherin!

As the sorting began Lauralie found herself taking note only of the names of the new Slytherins and no one else.

The four new Slytherin boys were Aaron Diggle, Fox Martin, Taylor Bennington and Benny Bogsworth.

Girls who joined the table were Kelli and Kelsi Karrington, the twins Lauralie had noticed. The scowling girl: Nichelle Krimson, and Sadora Sellers.

The twins made it quite clear that they were going to be the new pranksters of the house shaking Ludo's hand with a magical hand buzzer. He hiccuped throughout the rest of the feast.

"I _told _Mom we'd be in Slytherin," Kelsi said to Sadora.

"She wanted Ravenclaw," Kelli added.

"Could be worse," Ivy Centaury, a girl in Severus and Lucius' year, said. "She could have wanted you to be a Gryffindor."

Nichelle was gazing down the table ignoring the conversation.

"Who is that?" she asked suddenly, nodding towards where Lauralie was sitting.

"Oh, that's Lauralie Black," Ivy answered. She waved to Lauralie who waved back warmly. "She's a second year now."

"She seems so popular," Sadora commented.

"She is. Powerful too. If there are any Slytherins you don't want to cross, it is that group right there."

* * *

__

Sleep! Please! Lauralie rolled over once more.

She had been lacking sleep for the past couple weeks. Ever since Diagon Alley it seemed.

And when she did sleep she had strange dreams. Images of dragons, and destruction… a pair of fiery red eyes…

Lauralie sat up in bed. "Fine. I give up," she whispered to herself.

She slipped silently down the stairs to the common room, pulling her cloak on as she went.

The common room was deserted as usual at that time of night.

She gazed absently into the fire. _What's happening to me? _

* * *

There was an unusual amount of whispering when Lauralie arrived at the table for lunch on the first day of classes. She was too tired, however, to pay it much mind. She didn't realize anything at all was amiss until she caught sight of the scowl on Severus' face.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, startled.

He didn't answer. That's when he realized he wasn't scowling at her, but over her shoulder. She followed his line of sight to the Gryffindor table. He was glaring at Remus.

Lauralie was utterly bewildered at this point. She gazed along the Gryffindor table and realized her brother was missing. She scanned the room to find him talking to Rita Skeeter off near the doors to the hall.

"What is going on?" Lauralie asked finally.

"Rita is just telling Sirius about you and Remus," Lucius answered rather stiffly.

"Me and Remus?" 

"It seems she witnessed the two of yours rendezvous on the Hogwarts' Express," Severus hissed.

"Rendezvous?" Lauralie asked. "What on Earth has she told you people?"

"She says she saw the two of you kissing in the corridor," Ivy Centaury leaned over and whispered.

"NONSENSE!"

But no one seemed to hear this as all eyes were diverted across the room to Sirius who seemed VERY perturbed by the news Rita had just delivered him.

He stormed over to the Gryffindor table and pulled the chair right out from under Remus, who came crashing to the floor.

"Oh no," Lauralie gasped.

"I hope Sirius knocks him unconscious," Severus hissed.

"SEVERUS!" she practically shouted. "That is uncalled for. Nothing ever happened with Remus and I. It is just Rita trying to cause problems."

Severus tried to hide his relief. Not that it mattered because Lauralie was on her way to the Gryffindor table by now.

"I asked you yesterday," Sirius snarled. "If there was something going on."

"What are you TALKING about?" Remus asked, getting to his feet.

"You and Lauralie," Sirius snapped. "KISSING in the corridor of the Hogwarts' Express."

"Lauralie and I have never kissed," Remus said. "Ever."

"Someone SAW you," Sirius said, he was moving forward again but suddenly Lauralie was standing in front of Remus.

"Here to save your boyfriend Laur?" James asked.

"Shut up Potter," Lauralie snapped.

"Get out of the way Lauralie," Sirius said.

"Why so you can beat up one of your BEST friends because Rita Skeeter thought it would be fun to try to cause problems?"

"Why would she lie about this?" he growled. "What on Earth is she getting out of it?"

"You are so bloody frustrating," she hissed.

"I'm just trying to protect you," Sirius said, suddenly a bit tender.

"I can protect myself," she replied.

He sighed. It was then that he realized that all eyes in the Great hall were gazing at him. This didn't seem to phase Lauralie a bit. 

"I'm just trying to be a good brother," he said, almost sheepishly.

"You are, you just get carried away sometimes," she said. "Now if you will excuse me, there is someone who needs to learn a lesson."

She walked calmly across the length of the Great Hall to the Slytherin table where Rita was sitting. 

Rita stood up and laughed. "Oh come on Lauralie it was just a little joke," she giggled. "Lighten up."

Lauralie slapped her across the face. The sound of it echoed through the hall. "I'm not laughing Rita."

Rita was scowling now, she reached her arm back and balled it into a fist but before she could fling it forward Remus was there, holding her arm.

Lauralie growled. "What is with everyone thinking I'm a pitiful little girl who can't fight my own battles?" she hissed at him.

He looked stunned. She stormed out of the Great Hall, the enormous doors slamming behind her. Rita grinned at him with satisfaction. He released her wrist in disgust and went to follow Lauralie.

He caught up with her in one of the dungeon passages.

"Lauralie, please wait up," he called, running down the passage.

She stopped but was scowling at him, her hands crossed firmly against her chest.

"Look, I'm sorry."

"For which thing?" she snapped. "Thinking I was helpless, or feeding Rita a bunch of stories so that you could boost your ego."

Remus stepped back, stunned.

"How could you ever **think** I would feed Rita such nonsense," he snapped.

"Well who else would Remus?" 

This wasn't going at all like he had hoped. He didn't want more fighting, just a lot of making up. He didn't know what to say to that.

"I thought I could call you my friend," she hissed. "Clearly I can't."

"Clearly," he echoed.

She sat stunned. He'd agreed with her. "Fine then Remus," she said, trying not to let the sadness in her heart show. "If this is the way you want it."

She walked away then, and he didn't stop her. Every bit of him told him to stop her, but he didn't. Suddenly he turned around and punched the stone wall full force. "This was never the way I wanted it," he said, rubbing his injured hand.

* * *

Author's Notes: Mwa ha ha ha ha. Special thanks to Michelle for her brilliant brainstorming abilities. She's managed to get a whole nice subplot going that will be lots of fun. Not so much for Remus and Lauralie, but _we'll _enjoy it.

__

Next chapter: Remus and Lauralie want to make up, but everyone feeds them stories to convince them not to, but what happens when they run into each other alone? Oh, and QUIDDITCH TRY-OUTS!


	4. A Well Executed Plan

Author's Notes: Yes. Another chapter already. I'm just full of inspiration recently.

****

Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)

Chapter 4: A Well Executed Plan

"How'd that go?" Lindsay McConnaugha asked Remus as he returned to the table.

He didn't answer her, he flung his bag over his shoulder.

"Remus?" Lily said, concerned.

But he walked out of the Great Hall with out uttering a word.

Derich Heath, another second year like Lindsay, watched him go. "Did you see his hand Linds?" he asked. "It was all bloody like he punched something hard."

"You don't think he punched Lauralie do you?" Lindsay asked.

"Don't be silly, Sis," Duncan answered.

Lily sighed, turning to James, Sirius and Audrina. "Somehow I think that didn't go well at all."

* * *

Miss Millison, one of the nurses in the Hospital Wing, gasped as soon as she saw Remus' hand.

"What have you been doing?" she said, reaching for some alcohol to clean out the cuts before she healed them.

"I punched one of the walls in the dungeon," he answered, as if this was a perfectly normal thing for a student to do.

"And what, may I ask, did the wall do to piss you off?"

"It wasn't the wall," he answered. "It was a number of other things."

She poured healing potion over his hand and the cuts sealed themselves.

"Well I'm sure whatever it is will work itself out eventually."

"Yeah, but not the way I wanted them to work out."

She smiled a consoling smile. "Sometimes that is just the way life works out."

* * *

"She looks fine doesn't she?" Lindsay whispered.

Derich nodded. "I told you she would be," he said. "That girl is one tough cookie."

"Yeah, but look at Narcissa," she pointed out. "_She _looks worried."

"So let the Slytherins worry about themselves."

"Are you sure you are OK?" Narcissa asked.

"I'm fine, just a little rattled," Lauralie answered. "And I could KILL Rita."

"Oh, she will get her come-uppance," Narcissa said. "I think Severus and Lucius are more angry than you are."

"Because they hate Rita and have been looking for a good excuse to curse her for a while."

Narcissa stifled a laugh. "I bet Remus will be willing to help us."

Lauralie frowned suddenly, chopping her caterpillars angrily.

"Or did that conversation not go well?"

"That boy is frustrating and pig headed," Lauralie snapped. "He made his choice. Friendship over. End of story."

Narcissa decided that now probably wasn't the best time to argue with that. But she was quite sure that story was far from over.

* * *

Remus refused to so much as look at Sirius. He walked into History of Magic, his hand bandaged just for good measure, and took a seat in the back of the classroom, as far from the others as possible.

Rita Skeeter was smiling smugly.

"Isn't it amazing how quickly your friends can turn against you?" Rita leaned over and whispered to Remus. "And to think they say Gryffindors are the loyal ones."

"Why don't you shut the hell up Skeeter?"

It was Severus and Lucius, they were making their way back to their usual seats.

"Haven't you caused enough problems?" Severus hissed.

Remus was stunned at their sudden intervention. And Rita was looking highly affronted. The boys passed by without another word.

"My aren't we miss popular," Remus said, enjoying Rita's discomfort.

* * *

"Can you believe McGonagall gave us homework _already?_" Lucius groaned. "It is the first day!"

He slammed his Transfiguration book on the table.

"Welcome to Third Year," Severus said, he had his Potions text book open and was munching on Pumpkin chips.

They were planted at the same table they always studied at in the common room.

"Potions is going to be awesome this year," Lauralie grinned. "Now that we've gotten past the dull beginners stuff."

"Only **you** are excited about that," Narcissa said.

"You seem in better spirits, Laur," Severus commented.

Indeed she was. Rita Skeeter, Remus Lupin, and strange pain attacks were far from her mind. She was back at Hogwarts where she was comfortable.

"No sense in getting worked up over a stupid rumor," she said, flipping through her own potions book. "Especially a rumor spouted from the lips of Rita Skeeter."

There was a sharp tapping at the window next to their table.

"Lucius, isn't that your parents owl Gemini?" Severus asked.

Lucius frowned, opening the window to allow Gemini to come in. She flew a loop around the four Slytherins, landing on the back of Narcissa's chair. Lucius untied the letter from her leg.

"Dear Lucius," he read. "We wanted to write you before you received the news in the morning. The migrating dragons we've been tracking attacked a village around noon today. Fortunately there were no casualties, though the injuries are overwhelming. No one knows as of yet what triggered the attack. It is quite peculiar."

Lauralie shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"We just didn't want you to hear about the incident and have to worry about us. Send our love to the others," Lucius continued. "Love Mom and Dad."

"Well at least they are all right," Narcissa said, giving Lucius a reassuring smile.

Lucius sank down into his chair again. He scribbled a note back to his parents and sent Gemini on her way.

"I'm up for some flying," he said.

"Perfect, I could use the practice," Lauralie said.

"Practice?" Severus and Lucius asked together.

"Wait, wait, wait," Narcissa said, staring at Lauralie. "You are thinking about trying out for the Quidditch team aren't you?"

Lauralie just smiled.

"You _must _ be joking," Lucius hissed.

Meanwhile Severus was looking torn. "Ludo will never let you."

"Can it really hurt to try?" she asked. "Just imagine how surprised the other team would be to discover they were going to play against a girl!"

Lucius nodded. "I like the way you think."

Severus tapped his long thin fingers on the desk. "What about the tradition?"

Lauralie sighed. "Sev, you are far too predictable sometimes," she said. "Come on, all traditions come to an end eventually… I can't do this with out your support."

"Do you seriously think we can pull this off?"

"Does that mean you are in?" she asked.

Severus sighed. "Fine, I'm in."

Suddenly he found himself being hugged. "You won't regret it!"

Severus was almost disappointed when she released him.

* * *

Lily tracked down Remus at lunch the next day. He had been avoiding the common room like the plague and was never seen in the Great Hall at meal times.

So it was in the library that she finally found him, pouring over an advanced Transfigurations book.

"**There** you are," she huffed, sitting down at the table with him.

"Yes, here I am," he said shortly. "Question is, why are you here?"

"Because we are all worried about you," she said. "Are you just never going to talk to Sirius again?"

Remus sighed. "I am just hurt that he would take the word of _Rita Skeeter_ over my own," he explained, closing the transfiguration book.

"I can't believe he did in the first place," she commented. "But you know he's become very protective of Lauralie. I think he is trying to make up for last year."

Remus pulled a face at the mentioning of Lauralie's name.

"I take it you are just not speaking to the entire Black family?"

"No, Lauralie isn't speaking to me," he sighed. "I'd speak to her if she'd let me."

Lily puzzled over this for a moment. "But why?"

"Well, she essentially blamed me for Rita and her rumor," he explained. "I mean, it was just because she was mad. She didn't _really _think I had told Rita that nonsense. But she was pissed and said something about me not being her friend and I…" he let out a long sigh. "I sorta agreed with her."

"You _agreed _with her," she echoed.

"It doesn't make any sense, I know," he said.

"Its because its only two nights till the full moon," she said. She gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth.

"James told you?" he asked. James, Sirius, and Peter had known since around Christmas of the previous year that Remus was a werewolf.

"No. Sirius. This morning."

"Does everyone know now?"

"No, just me and the guys," she said. "He's worried about you."

"Well tell him he needs to worry more about his sister," Remus said.

"Why, what's wrong with Lauralie other than a short temper?"

"I'm not sure, but something isn't right."

* * *

Because their first match was against Gryffindor, Ludo had decided to hold Quidditch try outs a month earlier than he had Lauralie's first year, cutting off her intended practice time drastically.

This of course only lead to the boys working her harder on the Quidditch pitch. Lauralie was surprised in their enthusiasm in the idea. Last year they would have laughed in her face, but they knew her now, and her friendship clearly ranked higher than a silly tradition.

Narcissa's personal theory was that Severus merely wanted Lauralie around more. And Lucius was going along with it because that was what best-friends do.

The Quidditch pitch was always so quiet in the evening. The only sounds were the voices of the four Slytherins flying high above the ground.

"He's moved them up so he can work us harder afterwards," Lucius said, passing Lauralie the Quaffle.

"He's worried about Gryffindor," Severus said. "Bulstrode was a well seasoned Chaser. He wants the time to break in the new one."

A Quaffle soared past Severus and through the goal post. "Ludo is paranoid," Lauralie said.

"He's a perfectionist," Lucius amended. "He doesn't want to worry about sub-par chasers."

"Knowing Ludo he'll worry anyway," Narcissa pointed out.

Lauralie went to make another goal, but this time Severus snatched the ball out of the air.

"I think my ego is bruised enough for one evening," he said. "Besides, you are as prepared for tomorrows try outs as you are going to get."

They walked quietly back towards the castle.

"Should I just talk to Remus?" Lauralie asked suddenly. "Am I just taking a silly little fight too far?"

"No," Severus said sternly. "Don't you think that if he wanted to talk to you he would have at least tried by now?"

"I guess that is true," Lauralie murmured.

"Besides we have bigger things to worry about," Lucius said. "Like how we are going to keep Skeeter quiet about you trying out for the team."

"You don't seriously think Rita would spread it around when Slytherin's Quidditch chances are at risk do you?" Narcissa asked.

"I'm not sure," Severus said. "Lauralie _did_ slap her in front of the entire school."

"So it's a matter of which is more important, loyalty to her house, or vengeance?" Lauralie asked. "We're doomed…"

* * *

"I don't think I've ever seen so many Slytherins up this early on a Saturday," James said, yawning. Lily had forced them to get up for a Potions study session for their first major test that Monday.

"Their Quidditch try outs are today," Lily pointed out, taking a sip of her Pumpkin juice.

"This early?" Sirius asked. "Ludo is worried!"

"And he ought to be," James said. "They lost a Chaser, and none of the Slytherins who tried out last year were any good if I remember correctly."

Remus didn't comment. Relations between him and Sirius had been a bit icy still, but they were thawing slowly as the weeks progressed. Lily often positioned herself between them whenever she felt a conflict arising.

~~

Lauralie couldn't eat. She stared down at her plate of food and felt absolutely no urge to consume any of it. _They are going to just laugh at me._

An idea that had seemed so good at the beginning of the year now seemed quite ludicrous. Ludo would never let her on the team, that is if he even let her try out at all.

She was going to choke.

"You'll do fine," Severus whispered. "Eat."

She shook her head. "Not hungry."

"Come on, we'll head out early," Lucius said. "The fresh air will calm you down."

They made their way out to the Entrance Hall.

"Trust me, once you get up in the air you'll be fine," Severus said.

"Don't tell me SHE is trying out for the Quidditch team," Rita laughed, coming out of the Great Hall just behind them.

"Ignore her," Severus said, urging Lauralie out the front doors.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Narcissa said, hanging back. "I have a bit of business to take care of."

* * *

Rita was making her way down the dungeon corridor that lead to the Slytherin common room when Narcissa caught up to her.

"Hey Skeeter, we need to talk."

"What do you want Van Buren?" Rita hissed.

All ideas that she was going to attempt politeness vacated Narcissa's mind. She grabbed the collar of Rita's robes and pushed her up against the wall.

"Now that I have your full attention, I want you to listen very _very _closely," Narcissa said, her voice just above a whisper. "If you mutter a word, to anyone, about Lauralie in regards to the Quidditch team, and I find out about it, I will curse you into thousands of tiny pieces." She paused for effect. "Understand me Skeeter?"

Rita nodded slowly.

"Good." Narcissa released her and strode away back towards the Entrance Hall, leaving Rita stunned.

* * *

"No, no, no," Ludo said stubbornly. "Its unheard of."

"Just give it a chance Ludo," Severus insisted. "Put her up there and see what she can do."

"You are serious about this?" Ludo asked, turning to Lauralie.

"Very."

"Fine, but if you get hurt don't you come crying to me."

Lauralie joined the group of students waiting to try out, a couple of them murmured among themselves.

"Here's how this is going to work," Ludo shouted. "First you will each have one shot against _me._ **ONE!** If you get a goal you make it into round two. If I block your shot, you are out."

"He's letting her try out!" Narcissa said, taking a seat next to Lucius. "Splendid!"

"Yes, but I'm afraid he's only doing it to humor her and plans on her getting cut," Lucius said. "So how badly _did _you injure Rita?"

"Oh, I didn't hurt her," Narcissa answered. "But I will if she doesn't keep her trap shut like I've told her to."

"OK, Lauralie's turn," Severus said.

"If she can get shots past you she can get one past Ludo," Narcissa commented.

Ludo passed Lauralie the Quaffle from where he had blocked the person before her. She took a deep breath and moved to shoot towards the far left goal, as soon as Ludo moved to block her she shifted quickly, shooting the Quaffle successfully through the center goal post instead.

There was applause from the ground and Ludo was left surprised.

"Fair is fair," he said with a sigh. "Go on and take a rest before round two."

She smiled at him and headed off to land.

Once he was done six remained, and he put them up against each other as he watched from the ground. When Lucius approached him he was frowning at the players.

"I can't do it."

"Yes you can," Lucius disagreed.

"Its just not done," Ludo hissed. "You are asking me to disregard a tradition that has been in place for centuries."

"No, I'm asking you to _make history_." Lucius was always good at putting a positive spin on things. "Just imagine it for a second: Our first game is up against Gryffindor, can you see the looks on their faces when they discover they will be going up against a _girl_. Imagine how Sirius Black will react. It will throw them all off completely. They won't know what to do. And while they are trying to pull themselves together, we pull ahead easily."

Ludo nodded. "She _is_ the best one up there."

"She used to play with her brother all the time. Yet another advantage: she knows how he plays!"

"The question is: can we keep her a secret?"

Lucius smiled his trade-mark Malfoy smile. "In regards to that, Narcissa and I have formulated a plan."


	5. Varied Encounters

__

In this Chapter:

Rita starts to realize she's fallen in with the wrong crowd. Remus makes a mistake he can't take back. Lauralie and Severus have a heart to hear. t Slytherin fighting action. Start of the Quidditch match, but who's REALLY on the team? ****

Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)

Chapter 5: Varied Encounters

Rita Skeeter was hiding out in the Library. She found it was the safest place to be at that time.

She knew the glares would die down. This hadn't been the first time she'd managed to piss off the rest of her housemates. Even though it _was_ the first time that one of her rumor victims struck her.

Evan Rosier and Richard Wilkes walked into the Library. They made a beeline for her table, sitting down in the vacant chairs.

"What do you want?" she hissed. "Haven't you got me in enough trouble?"

"No one forced you to start that rumor," Rosier said. "You would have done what you did anyway, we merely… _encouraged _you."

"It was your idea to tell her brother," Rita said. "It was _your_ idea to exaggerate. I just wanted to tell everyone that Lupin had a crush on her."

"Because you were afraid of angering Lauralie?" Wilkes asked.

Rita sputtered. "I am **not** afraid of Black!"

Rosier sneered. "You should be."

"What is with you two and that girl?" she asked. "If you respect her as much as you seem to then why did you _want _me to start that rumor about her?"

"Because we don't respect Remus Lupin," Wilkes answered.

Rita caught on. "You wanted to murder their friendship," she said. "But why?"

"We have our own reasons for that," he replied. "Which we aren't likely to share with the Hogwarts gossip queen."

"That's all I am to you people," she growled. "Your little tool, I spread the rumor, I take the shit for it, and you get what you want."

"Catching on aren't you?"

"You can't _treat _people like that!"

Rosier laughed. "And using them as entertainment like you do is any better?" he asked. "We're Slytherins, Rita. Don't delude yourself about that. We do what we have to do to achieve our goals. We even use whomever we have to. That is what Slytherins do. You are just hacked off because for the first time you are on the receiving end."

Rita couldn't think of a response to this. She found herself staring at him as the two boys stood.

"We merely came her to tell you that your contribution will not be forgotten," Wilkes said, placing on the table what appeared to be a coin. "A thank you present," he said before the two boys swept out of the room.

Rita reached out and picked it up. It was a medallion, small and silver. It depicted a skull with a snake protruding from its open mouth. Inscribed at the bottom were the words: "Mors mordre".

"What the hell?" She turned it over in her hands. _What have I gotten myself in to?_

* * *

Remus was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. The sounds of Sirius' snores drifted through his scarlet curtains.

He hated the couple days before the full moon. Where he didn't go through the full change but somehow wasn't fully himself. He was more unpredictable, almost animalistic and abrasive.

His mother used to jokingly call it "Wolfie PMS".

Fortunately the guys learned quickly to avoid conflict during that time. Other uninformed individuals sometimes fell victim to his moodiness.

The fight with Lauralie was a prime example. Never in a normal state of mind would Remus have agreed with her accusation. Normal Remus wouldn't have let her walk away.

Normal Remus versus Moody Remus tended to lead to horrible conclusions.

But how could he ever explain all of that to Lauralie? Revealing to her his dark secret wasn't an option. The less people who knew, the better. Not to mention that it would ruin any chance he had with her (not that the chances weren't ruined already). Being friends with a werewolf (like James, Sirius, Peter, and Lily) was very different than dating one.

He rolled out of bed and went to sit on the window ledge. He gazed down onto the grounds.

A flicker of motion caught his eyes on his left. Up high on the Astronomy Tower a figure was sitting. Squinting he realized the figure was wearing a green and silver cloak.

Now if he'd paused and thought it over he probably would have realized what he was about to do wasn't the best idea. Not the night before the full moon when Moody Remus was in full control.

He crept silently to James' trunk, opening it and removing his friend's invisibility cloak.

* * *

Lauralie sat on a ledge high atop the Astronomy Tower, a sketchpad in her lap.

Her sleeping habits over the past month had not improved much, other than the fact that she was slowly adapting to the lack of rest.

She was so lost in her drawing that she didn't hear Remus' footsteps creeping up the stairs, nor did she see him remove the invisibility cloak.

"So this is where you come when you can't sleep?"

Lauralie started.

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"How did you know I was up here?" she asked.

"I saw you," he said. "From my window. Thought you might not mind the company, but if you'd rather I left…" He took a step back towards the stairs.

"No, it's alright," she said.

He smiled and took a seat on the ledge next to her. There was an awkward pause. "You know, your brother snores like a wild bear."

Lauralie laughed. "I _know_," she said. "Once when I was eight he and I kept fighting over toys and other such nonsense and mom got so fed up with us she made us live in the same room for a week. I lost so much sleep."

"You would think I'd be used to it by now," he said.

It felt very odd to be up at three am sharing small talk with a girl he hadn't spoken to in a month.

"I hear Duncan McConnaugha made Beater," she said.

"Does ANYTHING stay a secret in this place?" Remus asked.

"Some things," she said simply. "How did his sister take it?"

"She wasn't upset that he made the team," he answered. "But she was _very _mad that Gilderoy wouldn't even let her try out."

"You know, since Gildie _is _a girl you would think he'd be more willing to accommodate for others."

Remus laughed. "Who is filling your Chaser spot?"

"If I told you that I'd be forced to kill you," she answered.

"You Slytherins and your bloody secrets!"

"I just would hate to ruin the surprise."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry I accused you of starting that rumor," Lauralie said. "I was hacked off and not thinking."

"S'Ok," he replied. "I'm sorry for being a smarmy git when we were talking in the dungeon."

"I guess everyone is entitles to be a git occasionally."

"I wasn't myself."

"Are you ever yourself?"

"Sometimes."

There was another brief silence, and that was when Remus made his cardinal mistake. He leaned down and kissed Lauralie right on the lips.

He could have recovered from this had he let go when she tried to pull away. Unfortunately he didn't, he held her tightly by the arm, his lips still pressed to hers.

She finally wrenched herself away, slapping him square across the face."

"**What** in the name of **Merlin** do you think you are doing?" she hissed, standing up.

The sting of rejection settled on Remus, turning quickly into bitterness.

Normal Remus would have apologized profusely. Normal Remus would have spilled his guts to her about how much he cared about her and that he didn't mean to cross the line.

But this wasn't Normal Remus. This was Moody Remus. Hurt, rejected and angry Remus.

"Like you didn't expect that," he growled. "Don't act as if you didn't want it."

Lauralie scowled at him. "I don't think you can tell what I do or do not want," she hissed. "What is wrong with you? Where is the Remus I know?"

"You don't know me. You never knew me."

"I guess I didn't," she said, her voice had grown soft. "I wanted to. I have wanted to get to know you for a while." She paused, looking away. "But now I don't even want to know you at all Remus Lupin."

If he had looked closer in that moment he would have realized her eyes were glimmering with tears. But he didn't have a chance, because in an instant she had vanished.

"Join the club," he said.

* * *

She burst into the common room angrily. She kicked one of the trashcans sending it flying across the room. She let out what sounded to be a strange mixture between a sob and a frustrated scream.

Severus stood up from behind the chair he had been sitting in. "Who's there?"

Lauralie realized that she was still invisible. She considered for a moment fleeing up to the girl's dorms but the idea of a late night talk with Severus was too appealing. If anyone could make her feel better he certainly could.

She willed herself into visibility once more and they stood staring at one another for a moment.

"What horrid act did the garbage bin do to deserve your fury?" he asked in his trademark silky voice.

"I was imagining it was Remus Lupin's head," she said. Severus was having trouble reading the emotions in her eyes. Since they had met he had become quite good at it, they could look at each other and know how the other felt. But now it was all jumbled, a mixture of sadness, anger and despair.

He moves swiftly across the room towards her. He slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders, expecting to be pushed away at any moment.

She didn't, however, push him away. Quite the opposite, she leaned her head gently on his shoulder.

"You know I just expected him to be better than he is," she explained. "I guess sometimes people just aren't what they seem."

Severus was having issued really thinking with Lauralie so close. Even if to her it was just for friendly purposes and nothing more.

"What happened?" he asked finally.

Lauralie sighed. "He _kissed _me."

Severus' grip on her shoulders tightened involuntarily. He was sure that steam was going to start billowing out of his ears if he wasn't careful.

"I take it he did so against your wishes," he said in as calm a voice as he could manage at the moment.

She nodded.

__

I'll kill him.

She pulled away from him. He let go only reluctantly.

"I am going back to bed," she said. She started to walk away but stopped. She turned back and gave Severus a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Sev."

"Any time Laur," he said, feeling his face begin to flush red. "Goodnight."

"Night."

She trotted up the stairs on the girls' side leaving Severus alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Remus was grateful that the next day was Saturday, and the night of the full moon as well. It was easier to avoid the Slytherins and then he would be gone to the Shrieking Shack till Monday.

If any of his friends had noticed the marked change in his attitude they had failed to mention it. The talk at the breakfast table was nothing out of the ordinary.

A great deal of conversation centered around the coming Slytherin versus Gryffindor match that would be taking place on Halloween. Matches between those particular houses were always of great interest since it was generally between the two of them who would get the Quidditch Cup. Not to mention that everyone was curious as to whom Slytherin was going to use to fill Bulstrode's Chaser vacancy.

A couple Gryffindors suspected it was Mike Sater, a Slytherin third year. But Remus was having a very hard time believing that, as Mike was a bit of a runt. He was shorter even than many of the first years.

He, of course, made up for this with an incredibly wacky sense of humor. Most of the third years remember the time Mike "mistakenly" made Confusing Concoction instead of Clarifying Solution. So while every else was finding clarity, his partner thought he was a frog and hopped all around the classroom.

Mike just didn't seem _serious_ enough to be put on the Slytherin team.

He gazed casually over at the Slytherin table. There were only a handful of students sitting there, all up early, he guessed, for a Slytherin Quidditch practice. Sure enough Mike Sater was among them. Then against so were Lauralie, Narcissa, Katia and Anastasia, but they often attended the Quidditch practices so he didn't really think much of their presence that morning.

His heart did sink slightly though when he saw Lauralie. He hoped he was hiding it. But again no one seemed to be paying attention. He was starting to wonder if his friends were just really oblivious or if he had become an excellent actor all of a sudden.

He watched silently as the group of Slytherins got up and started out of the Great Hall.

"Come on," Sirius said. "The Slyths have the pitch all day but we get it in the evening, so I want to get that essay on Kappas done before then." He lowered his voice. "Plus that way you'll not have to worry about it when you get back."

Remus nodded and got up with his group of friends.

The Slytherins were still in the entrance hall, waiting, it seemed, for Ludo who was just emerging from the dungeon. They moved in a herd towards the front doors.

Severus hung back. Lauralie turned to him, gazing at him quizzically. "I'll be right back", he said.

Severus turned and stalked quickly towards where the Gryffindors were. "LUPIN!"

The whole group stopped, Remus looked up, his face unreadable.

"This can't be good," Lily said quietly.

"When it involves Severus Snake it is _never_ good," James pointed out.

Severus wasted no time. Once he reached them he grabbed Remus, violently slamming him up against the stone wall.

There were several loud protests from the Gryffindors but Severus paid them no mind. He kept seeing the sad, angry look in Lauralie's eyes the night before.

He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word dangerously. "If you ever so much as touch Lauralie without her permission, I swear to GOD they won't be able to recognize your body, Lupin."

The wolf in Remus urged him to fight back, to beat Severus right back. But he became aware that Lauralie wasn't too far away. She was walking down the hall towards the doors but she would surely notice if a fight broke out.

Severus pulled him forward, slamming him against the wall again. "Are you hearing me Lupin?"

Remus nodded. Severus released him and he slid to the floor. Every one seemed too stunned to react as Severus ran to catch up with Lauralie.

Remus' heart sank even deeper as Severus placed a friendly hand on the small of her back, holding the door open for her.

"What the hell was that all about?" Sirius asked Remus.

Remus pulled himself to his feet. "Nothing," he said, brushing himself off. "Nothing at all."

He walked up the stairs towards the library.

Lily watched him go, concern in her eyes.

"I'm fairly sure that was far from nothing."

* * *

Remus was already well immersed in his Defense Against the Dark Arts book when the others arrived in the Library.

No one moved to start working after they sat down.

"I don't want to discuss it," Remus said dully, not looking up from his book.

"Maybe you _should_," Lily said.

Remus glanced around the table, stopping briefly at Sirius. The thought of telling him that he had kissed his sister and that she had felt violated by it didn't sound too fun.

"No, I don't think I should."

He went back to working, and this time the others did as well.

But Remus was quite sure it would not be the last time that question was raised.

* * *

Lauralie loved Halloween. Where she could dress as wacky and strange as she wanted.

This year Narcissa and Lauralie had decided to go with a fairy theme. Sparkly luminescent fairy wings, Narcissa's in blue, and Lauralie's in lavender.

But what Lauralie really loved was their bags of "Fairy Dust", shimmering powder in colors to match their wings.

Severus couldn't even be mad when Lauralie sprinkled some on his head as she took a seat at the Slytherin table. "Happy Halloween Sev!"

"You are so insane," he said, shaking the sparkles out of his hair, and then brushing it back out of his face.

"That's what makes me fun!"

Everyone at the Slytherin table was excited. Later that afternoon was the Quidditch match against Gryffindor.

Lauralie was antsy. Waiting anxiously for some one to finish their breakfast so she could go do something to distract herself.

"I'm going to the Library," she said, standing. "Can't just sit here waiting. I'll be back."

As she approached the Library, Lindsay McConnaugha was leaving it, a pile of books tucked under her arms.

One of her rolls of parchment fell silently to the floor behind her.

"Hey, Lindsay," Lauralie called after her, picking up the scroll. She trotted to catch up with the Gryffindor.

"Oh, thanks," Lindsay said, taking the scroll.

"Are you coming to the game this afternoon?" Lauralie asked.

"I don't know. I'm not a real fan of our Quidditch team at the moment."

"Understandable I guess, I heard about Lockhart not even letting you try out."

Lindsay grimaced. "He wants to be the only girl on the team."

Lauralie laughed. "Listen, come to the game. I promise you won't regret it."

"Why?"

Lets just say we'll be breaking down barriers today." Lauralie walked away.

"We?" Lindsay echoed.

* * *

The stands on the Quidditch pitch were packed as they usually were for Slytherin versus Gryffindor matches.

Lauralie and Narcissa took seats farther down than usual.

Lindsay McConnaugha and Magdalene Martinez, a Gryffindor in Sirius' year, sat down near by.

Lauralie smiled, caught Lindsay's eye, and winked.

~~~~~~

__

Next Chapter:

The Quidditch match. Sirius presses Remus to tell him what happened. Lots of good deception. 


	6. Quaffles, Bludgers, and Potions oh my!

This Chapter: The Slytherin Vs Gryffindor Quidditch match. Plus: Sirius tries to get Remus to spill the beans.

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

**Chapter 6: Quaffles, Bludgers, and Potions (oh my!)**

Mike Sater was bouncing around the Slytherin changing room.

"You suffer from an abundance of energy," Lucius said.

"Actually, I think he enjoys it," Ludo Bagman said. "Come on, let's go."

When they reached the pitch, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Lauralie had to admit that it didn't look right having Mike on the Slytherin team. He was so small that he looked dwarfed by the other players. She turned and was watching the Gryffindor team carefully. Sirius seemed to be laughing quite hard.

"You let _Sater on the team?" Sirius called across the field. "You are making this too __easy!"_

Mike shook his head, smiling. "You know what Black, I think you are right," he called back. "That is why I'm not **on the team."**

He pulled the Quidditch cloak he was wearing over his head and showed that he wasn't wearing a uniform underneath.

The laughs ceased and were replaced with looks of puzzlement. Mike turned and threw the cloak up into the stands to Lauralie. She stood and caught it, handing her Cloak of Destiny to Narcissa before heading down the stands. Mike handed her the Shooting Star broomstick her mother had given her as she passed him.

"Is this a joke?" Remus asked.

Lily was smiling broadly. "I don't think it is."

The look on Sirius Black's face was priceless. He had been so smug moments before and now he simply looked dumbfounded as the Slytherin team, complete with Lauralie, approached the center of the pitch.

"Can they do that?" James asked. "I though girls couldn't play."

"Its not a written rule," Duncan McConaugha pointed out. "As my sister has reminded me a thousand times."

Lockhart was the only one on the Gryffindor team who didn't seem at all dismayed by this revelation. He seemed to actually gain some confidence, if that was at all possible for him.

"We're going to wipe the floor with them," he said jovially. "Putting rubbish on their team like that."

That _rubbish is my sister," Sirius growled. James grabbed his shoulder before he could pounce on Lockhart._

"Calm down," James whispered. "He's not worth it."

The Slytherins were scowling at Lockhart, clearly having heard his comment. Severus was standing closely behind Lauralie, whispering to her.

"This changes nothing," Lockhart said. "Play as aggressively as we practiced. She is just a ruddy girl."

"You'd think you would have a higher regard for your own gender Gilderoy," Ludo snapped.

"That's enough," Professor Luchesi said, stepping between the two teams. "I want a clean, safe game. Now shake hands."

Lockhart swaggered forward to shake the hand of Ludo Bagman, who was looking at him with a great deal of disdain.

"Happy Halloween ladies and gents," Lee's voice rang magically through the air. "And welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year. Playing for the Gryffindors this year we have Black, Lockhart, Bell, Johnson, McConaugha, Wood aaaaaand POTTER!"

As the Gryffindor team took off, applause rising around them, the Slytherins huddled together.

Ludo spoke over the din. "We've got them right where we want them. The only confident one is that smarmy Lockhart," he bellowed. "Lauralie, wipe that smile off of his smug face."

She nodded, ignoring the lurch in her stomach.

Jordan's voice boomed over the pitch. "And now, the Slytherin team"

"Let's do it," Ludo said, putting his hand in the middle of the circle. His teammates all piled their hands on top of his.

"SLYTHERIN!" they all shouted together. 

They took flight. The growing anxiety in Lauralie's stomach faded and was replaced with the exhilaration of wind flowing around her.

Jordan's voice still echoed around them. "Bagman, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Snape, Malfoy, and, a big surprise: LAURALIE BLACK!" He paused for dramatic effect. "That's right witches and wizards, its Black versus Black today. Lauralie is now the first female to earn a place on a Hogwarts' House Quidditch team."

There was a chorus of cheers from the stands, the majority of which seemed to be female.

"And its about time," Magdalene Martinez shouted from her spot next to Lindsay McConaugha.

Lily was cheering too.

"Are you seriously cheering for Slytherin," Remus asked.

Lily gazed at him in slight disbelief. "No Remus, I am cheering for Lauralie, who happens to be my friend, even if she is no longer yours."

Remus really couldn't think of anything to say to that. He turned his attention back to the pitch as Professor Luchessi released the balls.

"Gryffindor in possession. Black, Sirius that is, passes to Bell, Bell to Lockhart. _Gilderoy watch out for the Bludger!"_

Lockhart had to swerve out of the way of the Bludger that Ludo had sent his way, the Quaffle dropped from his grasp.

"Excellent Beater work by Bagman, the Quaffle is caught by Black, er, Lauralie I mean. Guess it is finally time to see what she is made of. Lauralie passes to Goyle. Goyle back to Lauralie."

Goyle and Lauralie were pelting away down the pitch parallel to one another, tossing the ball in between them. Lockhart was flying between them trying to intercept the Quaffle. It was like a mid-air game of Monkey in the Middle.

"Bugger off Lockhart," Goyle grunted, as he tossed the ball one final time to Lauralie who stopped her broom abruptly. Lockhart was sent forward, nearly knocking his Keeper, Wood, out of the air. Lauralie used the diversion to make an easy shot.

"Lauralie Black scores. Slytherin in the lead 10 to zip." Lauralie gave Gilderoy Lockhart a triumphant look before flying off.

Lockhart, seemingly thinking he could out do Lauralie, pelted away down the pitch, Quaffle in hand, prepared to shoot. Severus blocked him easily. "Not today Gildie." Gilderoy glared at him, pelting off to talk to Duncan McConaugha.

Severus passed the ball to Lauralie. "Watch your back, I think things are about to get ugly."

Ugly perhaps was an understatement. As Lauralie flew back towards the Gryffindor goal post, McConaugha struck violently at a Bludger, and it flew directly at her head. She had to corkscrew quickly to avoid the blow, and nearly dove into a crowd of Ravenclaws.

But before any of the Slytherins could turn to yell at the Beater, Sirius Black beat them to it.

"Watch where you are hitting those things," he shouted.

Lauralie nearly chocked trying not to laugh as she passed the Quaffle to Parkinson, Sirius tirade fading behind her.

"Lauralie dodges a Bludger, passes to Parkinson, Parkinson to Goyle, and GOYLE SCORES! Slytherin 20, Gryffindor 0"

Goyle whooped triumphantly, causing all of the Gryffindors to glare at him. "Oy, you're just jealous," Goyle snapped, flying past Lauralie and giving her a high five.

It was then that the Gryffindor beaters, using the distraction,  coincided attacks and pelted both Bludgers at Lauralie. Lauralie managed to dodge the first of them, but it seemed as if the second was going to be a sure hit, that is, if it wasn't for Sirius.

He seemed to come out of nowhere, diving before the Bludger, taking it full on in the chest. He seemed to have the wind knocked out of him as he sat motionless, gripping the broom.

"TIME OUT!" roared Gilderoy Lockhart's voice, apparently his patience had worn thin.

"Looks like old Gildie's about to pop a blood vessel," Ludo said, flying over followed closely by Lucius and Severus.

"What is going on though?" Lucius said, annoyance in his voice. "Are they just going to play 'Pick on the new girl' until they knock her off her broom."

Severus made a strangled sound of anger at the statement. 

"They won't. Especially with her dim brother acting as her human shield."

Lauralie actually opened her mouth to state that her brother was not dim when shouts drifted across the field. It was James Potter.

"Sirius stop being DAFT," he shouted. "This is Quidditch. There are Bludgers in Quidditch. Just because she is your sister, doesn't mean she should be granted immunity against offensive attacks."

"If it was merely an offensive tactic, I'd be fine with it. They've been picking on just her," Sirius snapped angrily, nodding towards the Beaters.

"You are letting your brotherly emotions cloud your common sense," Lockhart snapped. "They are winning. And that is NOT what we want. I'm warning you Black, I'll ground you if I have to."

Sirius looked absolutely furious but James interjected. "Sirius, she's here to play, not be coddled by her brother."

"Gentleman, are we here to play, or to debate?" Professor Luchessi asked, flying by.

Lockhart was looking as if that settled it, but Sirius merely glared at him.

"Oh fine," he said, turning to the Beaters. "Don't target _just Lauralie. Try to take someone else out."_

Duncan smiled. "No problem."

There was a sharp whistle blow indicating that the game was supposed to start again. Sirius found the ball being passed to him and his inhibitions about who the Beaters new target may be were lost in his sporting brain as one thing clouded in. _Take Quaffle, score goal. Duh._

He pelted away down the pitch, all eyes on him. That is, almost all eyes.

In the stands, Narcissa squinted up at the sky. "Oh no, _Lucius!"_

What happened next happened far to quickly to really be observed.  Johnson and McConaugha, using the distraction of Sirius' attempts of scoring as a distraction,  coordinated their efforts. Johnson darted forward towards Lucius, who looked startled. He turned to fly away, not realizing they were baiting him. Duncan McConaugha appeared in front of him, hitting a Bludger at him. He turned to dodge, colliding with Johnson.

His brain had time to process one solitary thought before the Bludger collided with his head, sending him into darkness. _Trapped._

The crowd gasped as Lucius Malfoy's broom darted downward into the stands one row down from where Remus and Lily were sitting, directly into a crowd of cheering Gryffindors.

Ludo Bagman cursed angrily, signaling Professor Luchesi that they needed a time out. All around the pitch people were standing up, some on their seats, attempting to get a look at where Lucius had landed. 

Narcissa was the first Slytherin to get there.

Lucius lie on his stomach across one of the seats, his nose was bleeding, and his eyes were closed. He wasn't moving. Narcissa gasped, rushing forward.

"Lucius, Lucius are you OK?" she practically shouted, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He moved only slightly. "Come on Mum, just let me sleep five more minutes," he said in a muffled voice.

"Well isn't that just wonderful," Mike Sater said, coming up the stands. "I say we give him five minutes, kick him in the ribs and tell him to get his Seeker arse back in the sky."

"Mike, he's _hurt," Narcissa snapped._

"Oh I'm sure your little boyfriend will be fine," Mike said.

"He's not my boyfriend!" She watched as Mike took a phial of some potion out of his pocket. "What is that?"

"Snape gave it to me, it's a healing/energizing draft," he answered. "I'm just waiting for the go ahead."

They both looked up to see Severus swooping close overhead, he nodded to Mike who gave him the thumbs up. He reached down and rolled Lucius over a bit rougher than Narcissa would have liked, and poured the potion down .

"Are you sure it is a good idea to give him that?"

"Don't worry, Snape said it would take a couple minutes to work, but he thought someone may be knocked down this game. Actually, I think he thought it would be Lauralie. I mean, who ELSE would he make an extremely complex potion for?"

Overhead Ludo was arguing with Professor Luchesi.

"Without a Seeker you have to forfeit, there is no way for your team to catch the Snitch without one," she snapped.

"He'll be back in the air in a few minutes, I assure you."

"Fine, do what you want. But they'll catch the Snitch with your man down and you will have wished you'd listened." She blew sharply on the whistle and the game was off again.

The game proceeded far harder and faster than it had been before the time out. It seemed almost as if the loss of their player had served only to piss the Slytherins off so much that it drove them to play harder.

Jordan was having a problem keeping up at this point as the point margin increased drastically in Slytherin's favor. He had just announced that the score was 160 to 10 when Lucius Malfoy stood where he had fallen, broomstick in hand, and called up to them. "Couldn't have waited for me eh?" Then he took off, still looking immensely tired and rattled.

But Lucius had only just taken off when, all the way across the field, James Potter went into a spectacular dive.

"Oh bloody hell," Anastasia moaned. "What's he playing at, if he catches it they'll only tie."

"Maybe he doesn't think they can do better than a tie at this point," Narcissa pointed out.

"Wait, no, look at Lauralie," Mike said, staring up into the sky.

*    *    *

Arriving at the manor Lucas Avery had expected to be greeted by a butler, or even a House Elf, but not an enormous snake. It hissed at him, then nodded its head as if gesturing the boy to follow him, which he did.

The room it took him to was sparse considering the large manor it was in.

"Did you have a nice summer Lucas?"

"Would have been nicer if you hadn't sent me off to Transylvania making bargains with vampires," Avery answered.

"Necessary task, as much as you may hate it, it was a necessary task." 

"I know Master, I know."

The man he was speaking to stepped forward, his red eyes gleaming in the firelight. "I invited you here to inform you that you work this summer has secured you a spot among my followers."

Avery's eyes seemed to be filled with a mixture of self-pride and anxiousness. He took a step towards the man before him. "I am ready master." Though his voice quavered as he said it his eyes showed pure determination.

Voldemort beckoned him forward, towards the fire. When he reached the hearth he muttered a few words and in his hand appeared a long, iron branding fork. He sank it into the magical fire for a moment then, with out a word, he seized Avery's arm, wrenched it over, and sank the hot iron into the skin of the boys arm.

Avery sank to his knees before his master and screamed.

*   *   *

The magical tone that indicated a goal had been scored had sounded at nearly the same instant James Potter seized the Snitch from the air. But the magical scoreboard didn't lie, and it read in bright silver "Slytherin: 170 ; Gryffindor: 160"

Slytherin had won.

"Lauralie Black makes the deciding goal just before James Potter catches the Snitch," Jordan's voice rang, sounding startled. "Slytherin wins by ten points."

The din was deafening. The Slytherins landed en mass. Ludo Bagman looked as if he may kiss Lauralie. Severus glared at him as if daring him to try.

"Brilliant, bloody brilliant," he said, clapping her on the shoulder. "I would have hated having to do a rematch because we tied. Always knew putting you on the team was a good idea."

"Of course," she said, as he was swept away by a crowd of cheering Slytherins.

Severus and Lucius both approached from behind. Lucius looked rather rattled, he had a bit of dried blood on his face.

"Are you all right?" she asked anxiously.

"He'll be fine," Severus said. "You did smashing. Saved us the game." He smiled at her pleasantly. "Looks like you have fans now too."

Girls were flooding onto the pitch in all directions trying to get to Lauralie to congratulate her. First was Lily Evans, Audrina Malachite, and Bridget Corrigan. Lauralie couldn't help but notice, with a slight twinge of disappointment, that Remus hung back as his friends came forward to greet her.

Lily dragged her into a hug, ignoring Lauralie's startled protests. "You did great. Wonderful. I'm so proud."

"Yeah, good job Black,"  Audrina said.

"Um… thanks," she said, taking a step back. Bridget Corrigan was smiling madly at her.

"What has you so happy?"

"This means that I can get on the team next year," she said with another huge smile. "You've done me a huge favor Black."

Lauralie couldn't help but laugh as the three Gryffindors walked away towards where the losing team had gone and sat in the stands.

"If Lockhart let Corrigan on the team it would only be because he _fancies_ her," Severus said, watching them go.

"I think he should put her on the team, it sure would make winning a lot easier for us," Lauralie replied.

"In that case I certainly hope Gildie doesn't let her join."

Lauralie turned to see Lindsay McConaugha.

"Breaking down all the barriers, eh?"

"Well, we did didn't we?" Lauralie answered, looking only mildly amused. "Suppose you'll be trying out to be a Beater next year then?"

"You know it," she answered. "Now go celebrate."

*    *    *

Remus Lupin sat away from the group of sulking Gryffindors in the common room. They were all talking about the match. Lauralie's surprise appearance, and her securing the game for Slytherin.

Lauralie, Lauralie, and more Lauralie.

He'd needed to escape for a while. 

Sirius came over and sat in the chair across from him.

"Are you going to tell me any time soon?"

"Tell you what, Sirius?" Remus asked, hoping his voice didn't reveal his nervousness.

"What happened between you and my sister," he answered. "And don't say nothing because you've been avoiding her gaze for weeks. And you get quiet whenever any one talks about her."

"It doesn't matter," Remus answered simply. 

"If it is making you this miserable, clearly it _does _matter."

"You would only be angry."

Sirius fell silent. "I'll be angrier if you wait to tell me."

"I can't tell you."

"Fine," Sirius snapped, getting up from the chair. "Just hide, sulk, be miserable and stupid. Hide things from your friends. Be my guest."

He stormed out of the common room and up the stairs to the dormitory.


	7. Confessions and Confrontations

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

**By Lauren M. Snape**

**Chapter 7: **Confessions and Confrontations

Remus sat alone then, staring into the fire. He knew that if he went after Sirius he would merely push more for Remus to tell him what had happened. And the more thought he put into it, the more he believed that it was a bad idea for Sirius to know the whole story. 

Lily came and sat in a chair near him. The urge to confess had been always overwhelming in the presence of Lily. Something about her innocent green eyes made you want to spill the deepest darkest secrets of your soul. She didn't say anything, or ask anything, she just sat there gazing at him and waited.

Remus released a sigh. "I kissed Lauralie."

Whatever it was Lily had been expecting that must not have been it, as she looked quite surprised. "You what?"

He recounted the story for her, and she sat quietly and listened. "Wow. No one knows?"

"Well, I've not told anyone, though I am fairly sure Snape knows."

"_That's _why he was threatening you," she said as the pieces started to sort themselves out in her head. "Have you talked to her since then?"

Remus gave her a look. "Did you forget the line in the story where she said, in no uncertain terms, that she didn't want to know me anymore?"

"Rem, she was just angry, I'm sure now that she's calmed down she doesn't feel that way."

"Actually, I think angry is just a wee bit of an understatement there. Livid would more properly describe her frame of mind." He paused. "I mean, it's my fault. I don't know what came over me. I don't know what I was _thinking._"

"You weren't thinking."

"Thanks Lil."

She smiled. "Anytime."

"But you can see now why I don't want to tell Sirius."

Lily was silent for a moment. "I can see how he may not appreciate that," she said. "But you not telling him is making him angry as well."

"It's none of his business."

Lily laughed. "You see this is Sirius we are talking about. And the way he sees it since it involves one of his best friends and his sister, it is very much his business."

*   *   *

The party raging in the Slytherin common room was the biggest Lauralie had seen so far. Mike Sater and Ludo Bagman had gone out and reappeared with a stock of sweets and butterbeers. But the main difference Lauralie noticed was that this time she was getting a great deal of the attention.

"You saved the game Lauralie," Ludo boomed, slapping her on the back proudly. "I'll admit I had misgivings of putting you on the team, but you proved me wrong. Proved you could do it. No one can question your Quidditch skills anymore."

"Thanks Ludo," she said.

The only one there that didn't seem to be celebrating in the least was Rita Skeeter. Usually at this point in the party she would be throwing herself on every player she could get to. However, now she was sitting in a chair on the far side of the room, sipping a drink and basically ignoring everyone around her.

"Is Rita trying to be anti-social?" Lauralie asked.

"Who cares… chess?"

*   *   *

"You know everyone is here celebrating _your_ victory and you are over here hiding, and playing chess," Mike Sater said, flopping into one of the chairs near the fire.

"We enjoy chess," Lauralie answered simply. She lay on the floor, propped up on a single elbow, her hair cascading over her back.

"So I suppose it would be a waste of time to try to ask you to come dance with me?"

"Yes," Severus answered for her without hesitation. Lauralie had to work not to laugh at the look of complete seriousness on his face. 

"No thanks," she answered. "Thanks for the thought though."

Mike shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"You didn't have to say no on my account," Severus said as his rook overtook one of Lauralie's bishops.

"What? Even after you said no for me?" There was a tone of challenge in her voice.

Severus was silent for a moment. "Perhaps I overestimated my importance and influence in your life."

He was gazing down at the floor next to the chessboard. Lauralie placed her hand under his chin and forced him to look up at her.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said.

Severus suddenly felt very caught up in her eyes, and very aware of her fingertips under his chin. He raised his hand to hers, leaning towards her. He was almost sure he was imagining that she was leaning in as well.

An explosion on the other side of the room caused them both to jump back. The twins went by giggling and looking singed. Severus merely glared after them.

"I don't believe it!" Lauralie said suddenly.

"What?"

She ordered her Knight into place, before smiling up at him in a smug manner. "Checkmate."

Severus stared down at the board as she got to her feet. 

"Dance with me." It wasn't a question, more a request.

Severus was gazing up at her with a look of horror on his face. 

"I… **_don't_** … dance," he said in a strangled voice.

She was looking down on him calmly, the firelight reflecting in both of her eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder before speaking again.

"Then I guess I'll have to take Mike up on his offer," she said indignantly, turning to walk away.

She hadn't gotten two steps before Severus was on his feet, nearly tipping over one of the chairs in the process.

"Its just… I don't really know how to dance," he muttered as low as he could, reaching out to seize her arm.

"Don't be silly, I'll teach you," she said, her eyes glimmering in amusement as she lead him further into the large group of dancing Slytherins.

Severus was sure he had never felt so claustrophobic in his life. There were arms, legs, and torsos in every direction. It was like they were surrounded by a living, breathing wall of people.

"First of all, don't be so stiff," Lauralie said. Severus was dragged out of his thoughts as she reached forward and placed one hand each on Severus' hips. "Move your hips a bit."

Severus' breath caught in his throat as she forced him into motion. "I'm better at slow dancing," Severus admitted.

"You are doing fine." She smiled up at him as they danced. 

They were talking over the music, he moved closer to her after a while. Yelling to be heard was getting tiresome. "I'm proud of you."

This had the exact effect he had been hoping for. She hugged him. "I couldn't have done it without you, you know that right?"

"I don't know about that."

Heads turned as the Common Room door slid open with the sound of grinding rock.

"Professor Lestrange, have you come to join the celebration," Lucius asked.

"Have you any idea what time it is," she asked. She was clutching her green dressing gown around her and looking severe. 

"We're just having a little party, Professor."

"I don't mind you celebrating, but when McGonagall comes to tell me that I am not properly doing my job as Head of Slytherin house it is time for **_bed_**!" She let the words settle in, someone shut off the music. "I don't want to hear any more complaints about you lot tonight." 

There was a mumbled chorus of "Yes, Professor.".

"Also, please note that anyone late to one of my classes tomorrow due to oversleeping **_will_** receive a week's worth of detentions. **_Goodnight_!**"

"Figures McGonagall would rain on our parade," Lauralie commented. "Guess it's off to bed."

Severus leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, Lauralie."

Narcissa bustled over and seized Lauralie by the arm. "Come on, I want to talk girl talk," she hissed, leading Lauralie away. "Night, Sev."

"What do you suppose that was about?" Lucius asked.

Severus shrugged. "Must be a girl thing."

*   *   *

Lauralie flopped down onto her bed, tossing her cloak onto her trunk. "Girl talk?" 

"Yes, girl talk," Narcissa said, sitting tailor fashion at the other end of the bed. "It seems the only people you talk to anymore is Severus or the guys on the Quidditch team." 

Lauralie was about to contest but changed tactics at the last second. "Really?"

"Lauralie!"

"Sorry! Its just that with practices and school"—

"And Severus," Narcissa added for her.

"What does Severus have anything to do with this?"

"Oh, please!" Narcissa rolled her eyes. "As if I don't see you two hugging, or him _kissing _you."

"**On the forehead!**" Lauralie interrupted.

"That's not the point, the point is Sev is completely in lust with you."

"Don't be silly," Lauralie said. "Sev and I are **_friends_**."

"Fine, be blind, but I see the way you look at him." Narcissa crossed her arms over her chest.

"And I see the way you look at Lucius, but you don't hear me jabbering on about how it is interfering with our friendship." 

"You just had to bring **Lucius** into this didn't you."

Yes, because I think you are being unfair," Lauralie argued. "Severus and I are close, but so are you and Lucius."

"I just miss you," Narcissa said quietly.

"I'm sorry," Lauralie said. "I'll be better about it."

"Okay, thank you," she paused. "You don't happen to notice how Lucius looks at _me do you?"  _

Lauralie had to fight off a fit of giggles. "I'm not good at reading Lucius' face. He's good at hiding how he feels."

"So is Severus, but **you** can always tell."

"That's because he's Severus."

"Oh, well silly me."

*   *   *

Lauralie walked into the Great Hall to be greeted by mild applause.

"Well that was different," she said, helping her self to some bacon.

"Right now you are every Hogwarts girl's role model," Lucius said.  

"Always something else to put _perfect Lauralie Black in the spotlight," Rita Skeeter hissed as she walked past. _

Severus glared. "You mean there is always something else to make you _jealous, Rita." _

She ignored the comment and kept walking.

"Annoying prat," he said. "Just ignore her Laur, she's not worth it."

"I was ignoring her."

"I can't believe we are _still behind in house points though," Narcissa said, with a sigh._

"Perhaps that is because the Gryffindors are so much more behaved than you all."

They turned to see Professor Lestrange, arms crossed over her chest, looming over them. For a split second Lauralie thought she looked an awful lot like a vulture.

It was always hard to tell if she was in a good or a bad mood.

"Hullo Professor," Lucius said, silkily. "What brings you down from the head table?"

"I wanted to talk to you four," she uncrossed her arms in one quick, smooth motion. "You all have found yourselves at the center of attention. And because of that you now have a responsibility."

"Because we all need more of _that," Narcissa said._

Professor Lestrange continued as if she had not heard this. "You see those hourglasses? Notice something wrong with them?"  

"Aside from the fact that the _'bronze' sand in the Ravenclaw hourglass is more gold than anything else?" Lucius asked._

"I've always wondered why they didn't use blue," Narcissa said.

Professor Lestrange slammed her hand on the table. "Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible," Lestrange hissed, menacingly. "Notice how the hourglass with the red sand has more sand in it than the one with the _green sand. You need to make sure that doesn't remain so."_

She stalked away with out another word.

"Monosyllabic has far too many syllables!" Narcissa called after her.

"Are you trying to get a poison slipped into your next potion?" Lauralie asked.

"Don't be silly, we're her golden group, you heard her," Lucius said. "She wants _us to influence the rest of the house into staying in line."_

"Actually, I think she just wanted to make sure we didn't pull anything that would lose points," Severus said.

"Us? Lose points?" Lucius laughed. "NEVER!"

*   *   *

"So why are you and Lauralie not speaking?"

Sirius had been springing this question, and many variations of it, on Remus all week in hopes of surprising an answer out of him.

James rolled his eyes. He gazed around the Library shelves around them. The tension in the room was so thick that he was sure that he could reach up and touch it if he wanted to.

He shifted his gaze to Remus, who had stopped reading, his eyes fixed at the same point in the book that it had been a moment before.

"You really do not want to know, Sirius," Remus said, his eyes remaining on the book.

"But I do."

"Fine." Remus looked up, meeting Sirius eyes. "I kissed her."

Whatever Sirius had expected him to say, that clearly was not it. It was a couple of moments before he responded, and even then all he said was: "You _kissed her?"  _

"Yes."

Comprehension was filtering into Sirius' eyes. "That's what Snape was talking about," he said slowly. "That's why he threatened you, because you touched Lauralie without her permission."

Remus shifted his eyes away. "I wouldn't let her pull away, even though she tried," he said in a small voice. "She slapped me."

"You **_BASTARD_**!"

Sirius pulled his wand out but Remus was faster. _"Expeliarmus!"_

This, however, may not have been the best thought-out plan, as the now-wandless Sirius bodily flung himself at Remus. 

The table they had been working at toppled over, sending papers, quills and ink everywhere. Sirius seized the collar of Remus' school robes and slammed him up against a bookshelf, heavy volumes rained down around them.

"Of all the girls in this school," Sirius growled. "You **had** to lay your filthy paws on the one that was _my sister."  _

"I didn't mean to violate her, she just looked so beautiful that night," Remus mumbled. "I wanted…" 

Sirius punched him hard in the face. "You are not allowed to want _anything like that from my sister."_

Remus punched him back. "I thought I was your friend, don't you trust me?"

"Not anymore," Sirius answered.

James tried to step into the fight that ensued, but it was no good. 

He stood back and watched them tumble to the floor. Sirius, hair a mess, was hitting Remus unmercifully. Remus seemed to be taking far more than he was dishing. James had never seen the contrast between his two friends.  Sirius was muscular, well toned from many Quidditch practices. Remus, on the other hand, was thin, bordering almost on sickly. He was weakened by the curse he was forced to endure for so long.

It was an unfair fight at best. They rolled along the library floor, bumping into table legs and knocking over chairs.

It was shortly after they managed to knock over a bookcase that Professor McGonagall and Madam Pince turned up.

"What on Earth is going on here?"

McGonagall seized Remus by the back of his robes, pulling him out of the fray. It took both James and Madam Pince to hold Sirius back.

"I am utterly appalled by your behavior." McGonagall said. "Physical fighting. Destruction of school property. And overall trying my patience. I could have you suspended for this."  

Sirius and Remus looked away. Madam Pince looked too furious to speak, she was surveying the bits of book and paper strewn around the area.

"A hundred points from Gryffindor," McGonagall said. All three boys opened their mouths to protest. "For both of you. Two hundred total." She gave them a look so severe that they couldn't even think of saying anything. "And a week's worth of detention with me, together. I don't want to hear of any more problems, understand me?"  

They both nodded.

"Potter, feel free to escort them to the Hospital wing for tidying up," she said, eyeing Remus' bleeding nose, and Sirius' cut lip. "I trust I don't need to tell you how completely disappointed I am in the both of you." 

She turned and left, leaving the boys alone with their injuries.

~*************************************~

Author's Note: Super de duper thanks to Torias, who Beta read this chapter for me, and will hopefully continue doing so in the future.

ROLE PLAYER CALL: I am looking for anyone who is interested in getting into a role-playing organization revolving around this series. If you are interested in writing and role playing please email me at thetigressfatale@yahoo.com or IM me at TigrisSheerKahn

And, anyone want a preview of the next chapter? Here's a brief quote:

"It rose onto its massive hind legs, at its full height it towered over even the highest trees of the Forbidden Forrest.

Lauralie gazed up at it. She knew what was coming long before it happened. It opened it massive jaws and the last thing she saw was fire, then all was black."

Drooling yet?


	8. Boys Will Be Boys

Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)

Chapter 8: Boys Will Be Boys

Check out my new website: www.slytherin.us

**~~~~~~~~~~**

Remus' body ached as he lay in the darkness of the Third year boys' dormitory.

Madam Pomfrey, in the interest of teaching them a lesson, had cleaned their wounds but had not healed them.

Remus had not realized how badly bruised he was until he attempted to lie down and sleep, at which point he discovered that he was wounded practically all over his body. 

Sirius had not spoken a single word to him since they had left the library. Remus had not bothered to try to initiate conversation. It was too soon to expect Sirius to let it go.

Remus gazed briefly across the space between his bed and the crimson curtains that hid his disgruntled best friend from view.

_It's going to be a long day._

*   *    *

Gryffindors wandering into the Great Hall nearly choked when they saw the House Points as displayed by the four large hourglasses on the left wall. Whereas the day before they had a solid lead on Slytherin, now they were lagging behind considerably.

Sirius himself merely groaned, plopping down at the table. His left eye was dark and bruised. He was sitting with Magdalene Martinez, one of the girls in his year.  

"Oh cheer up Sirius," she said, pulling a pitcher of pumpkin juice towards her. "Its not the first time you've lost us points." Amusement twinkled in her eyes as she smiled at him.

"I'm just mad I ruined our lead over Slytherin," he said. "It's bad enough they'll probably get the Quidditch cup. And with James on the team we really should get it." He was avoiding meeting anyone in the eye, and therefore found himself staring at his plate.

Mags nodded. "But you'll get it next year, once Lockhart graduates and you have a new team captain. Then you'll be able to use a little thing called _strategy_."

"Don't think to highly of Gildie do you?"

"I doubt it truly matters," she answered. "He thinks highly enough about himself with out my help."  

"You have a point there."

Lauralie, on the other hand, was not paying a great deal of attention to the hourglasses as she trudged in from an early morning Quidditch practice looking worn. 

Ludo had been working them to death in preparation for the match against Ravenclaw, which was to take place just before the Christmas Holiday. Unfortunately the fact that the rest of the team looked at Ravenclaw as an easy win only drove Ludo to work them harder.

"If you don't work, and you slack because you think it will be an easy win, we'll end up LOSING."

So they had been sentenced to morning practices twice a week for the rest of the month.

In fact in their tired state, it even took the ever-observant Severus Snape a couple of minutes to pick up the change in the hourglasses.

He elbowed Lauralie gently in the arm and nodded his head towards the hourglasses.

"How'd they lose two hundred points?" she asked.

"Three guesses who's fault that is," Lucius said with a malicious smile.

Lauralie turned in her chair to look at the Gryffindor table. She skimmed down the table. Many of the students were talking and gesturing wildly, clearly upset.  

She saw Sirius and Mags eating silently. She wasn't sure, but she could swear that Sirius looked like he had a bruise over one of his eyes. Farther down the table were Remus, Lily, and James. Remus had a cut above his lip and a bruise along his jaw line.

Lauralie began ticking off the list of people who had strategically positioned themselves between Remus and Sirius.

_Magdalene, Lindsay, Duncan, Corrigan, Pettigrew, Potter, and Lily._ She frowned. _They are fighting._

Severus was looking too. "Is it me, or does it look like Black and Lupin had a lovers' spat?"

Lauralie pondered for a moment the fact that Severus referred to Sirius as Black, but used her first name. Then she answered. "Yeah, it does."  

She watched Remus for a moment before dragging her eyes away and turning back to her friends.

*    *    *

Remus was not eating; he stared down at the food, wondering why he'd even put it on the plate to begin with.

He didn't dare look at Sirius. Or, for that matter, Lauralie. He'd glanced Sirius only once, to see that he had found a seat that put as many of their friends between them as possible.

Remus was vaguely aware that Lily was sitting next to him, with James. He was sure James was just following Lily. The other Gryffindors at the table were whispering about the new House standings.

But there wasn't much going on in his mind. The same sentence was replaying there, pushing him farther into sadness.

The first friends I've ever had, and I just had to go and mess it up.

*    *    *

It didn't take long for the rumor that Sirius had beaten the crap out of Remus for hitting on his sister to make its way around Hogwarts.

Rita Skeeter was in gossip heaven, and it was gossip that involved Lauralie. And anyone with half a brain knew that all of Rita's favorite gossip involved Lauralie Black.  

"So how long did you let him kiss you before you clocked him?" she shouted after Lauralie as they passed between classes.

"Why don't you go play Marco Polo with the Giant Squid, Rita?" Narcissa hissed. "God she never shuts up, does she?"  

"No," Lauralie answered. "Especially not in a time like this."

"A time where you saved our skin?" Narcissa asked. "She should be happy and shut up like the rest of us."

"I can't believe they were fighting over me," Lauralie said. Her voice conveyed disbelief and guilt that Narcissa chose not to address.

"And I can't believe you never told me Lupin kissed you," Narcissa said.

"No one knew, I assumed it would _stay _that way."

Katia and Anastasia were already in their History of Magic classroom when they walked in.

"We just heard that the fight was in the library, of all places," Katia said.

"Madam Pince must be _furious_," Anastasia added. "Someone said they knocked over a bookcase!"

"Where are you hearing all this from?" Lauralie asked, methodically twisting her long hair up into a bun.

"Oh, _everyone is talking about it," Katia answered._

Lauralie groaned and sank down into her chair.  

"Don't fret, LB," Anastasia consoled. "It's just gossip, everyone will forget it in a couple of weeks."  

"Why do boys have to be so bloody ridiculous?" Lauralie muttered. "I mean what's the point of this whole 'You kissed my sister I shall now give you a bloody nose' mind set?"

"Oh, its really quite simple," Narcissa answered. "They are boys and they are stupid. So there _is no point behind their actions."_

The Gryffindors were filing slowly into the room. Lauralie met Lindsay McConaugha's eyes for a brief moment before Lindsay deliberately shifted her eyes away.

Lauralie spent the rest of the class ignoring Professor Binns' monotone lecture and instead trying in vain to catch the other girls' eye.  

At the end of class, after Lindsay had left far quicker than usual, Lauralie was sure.

Lindsay McConaugha was avoiding her.

*    *    *

"I think that was the longest day I've ever lived through," Lauralie said, taking a seat at their usual table in the library. "Where's Lucius?"

"I don't know," Severus answered. "He was called out of Defense Against the Dark Arts for some reason, and I haven't seen him since then."

"You don't think something is _wrong do you?" Narcissa asked, sounding anxious._

"I hope not," Severus answered. "Have you all heard some of the nonsense circulating the rumor mill?"

"Some, we heard they knocked over a book case," Lauralie said.

"Oh, and that Lestrange is the one who caught them and took off all those points," Narcissa added.

"And that Sirius is jealous because _he's in love with Remus."_

"I always questioned your brother's sexuality," Narcissa said, giggling. "Way too buddy buddy with Potter and Lupin if you ask me."

"But the consensus is, they were fighting because of me," Lauralie said with certainty. She sounded thoroughly miserable. "And I think Lindsay McConaugha is avoiding me. Usually we get along just fine, but today she wouldn't even look at me."

"She's a Gryff," Narcissa said. "She's probably hacked off and blaming you for their loss of points."

"I suppose."

Severus opened his mouth to say something but never got it out because at that moment Lucius turned up looking dismal.

"What happened to you?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius gave a dark look. "Dad's been injured."

"Oh no, what happened?"

"You know they've been following those bloody dragons right?" he said. "Well they've been trying to keep them hidden from all the Muggles. Something went wrong, they wouldn't give me details. All I know is he's rather burned and broke his arm and a couple ribs."

"But he'll be OK?"

"Oh of course. Still it isn't good," Lucius said. "They can't keep the dragons under control. No one knows where they are going. Its really quite insane."  

"That _is weird," Narcissa said._

"What are they going to do?" Severus asked.

"They have no choice but to keep trying," Lucius said. "That's their job. Besides, Dad doesn't _ want to give up. Damn dragon lover, doesn't know what's good for him."_

Lauralie's heart slipped even further down in her chest. She began piling her books into her bag.

"Where are you going?" Severus asked.

"I'm going to the Great Hall to find Sirius," she answered. "I want to talk to him."

Severus looked like he wanted to ask why the hell she would want to do that but he held his tongue.

"I'll see you guys in the Common Room later."

*    *    *

Lauralie popped her head into the Great Hall where the remainder of students were still eating dinner. She searched the Gryffindor table for her brother but didn't see him. Remus was in there with Peter Pettigrew. But no Sirius.  

"Looking for someone?"

Lauralie nearly jumped out of her skin. "You startled me Magdalene."

"Sorry," she said with a laugh.

"Have you seen Sirius?" Lauralie asked. "I kinda wanted to talk to him."

"He's already gone up to his dorm," Mags answered. "He's not in too good of a mood."

"I can imagine," Lauralie said. 

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Can't, Skeeter is hovering around the corner."

There was a muffled curse from around the corner.

Magdalene laughed. "OK then, walk with me, we'll talk."

They began to wander up on of the staircases. Passing by Rita Skeeter as they went. Magdalene waved in sarcastic cheeriness.

"So what's on your mind, Lady Slytherin?" she asked after they were a safe distance from where Rita was still lurking.

"Its this whole fight thing," Lauralie answered. "Were they _really fighting because of what happened? I mean, with Remus and I?"_

"Yes, so it seems," Magdalene responded. "I know your brother doesn't seem it sometimes, but he is very protective of you, perhaps _too protective. Because I am not entirely sure he realizes how capable you are of standing up for yourself."  _

"That's one of the things that _infuriates me about him," Lauralie agreed. "No matter how old I get I'm still his little baby sister."_

Magdalene nodded. "Sirius, as wonderful as he is, is quite stubborn and hard-headed at times."  

"How upset is he?"

"Very. But he'll get over it, they always do. This isn't the first time one of the guys has ticked off the other. And of all four of them, Sirius has the shortest temper."

"Don't I know it." They walked in silence for a few minutes, passing the Library, and then the Hospital Wing. 

They changed topics and spoke about Quidditch, and classes as they came full circle. They paused at the spot where they would have to part ways.

Lauralie turned to walk away.

"Hey Lauralie," Mags called. Lauralie turned around. "You shouldn't blame yourself. No one else does."

Lauralie smiled weakly. "Thanks Magdalene."

"Anytime."

~~~~~

Author's Notes: Whee. Thanks again to Toria, my wonderful Beta.

No, the line I showed you about the Dragon didn't make it in this chapter, probably won't turn up till late next chapter.

Next Chapter: Slyth Vs. Ravenclaw, LB finally catches up with her brother, Lily and Sirius have a heart to heart.

And much much more!


	9. Soul Searching

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)******

**Chapter 9: Soul Searching**

Author's Note: Don't even know what to say, just read it and you'll see

______________________

"Did you find Black?" Severus asked.

He was sitting in one of their usual armchairs by the fire in the Slytherin common room. Lucius and Narcissa were playing a game of Gobstones on the hearth.

"No, Magdalene Martinez said he's already gone up to his room," she said. She was nibbling her lower lip gently as she always did when she was worried about something. "She did however confirm that they were fighting because of me."  

"I thought we already _knew_ that?" Narcissa asked, wiping Gobstone juice off her face in disgust."  

"Well, I was _hoping_ that it didn't involve me." She was fiddling nervously with her tie. "It's bad enough that I've mucked up my family, but now I'm splitting up best friends."

Narcissa then did the most un-Slytherin thing that Lauralie had ever seen her do. 

She heaved herself up off the floor and pulled her friend into a tight hug.  Such public displays were rare in the crowded Slytherin common room, but only a couple heads turned.  

"You know it's not your fault," Narcissa said. "Deep down you know that. Just give yourself time to fully realize it. If anyone is to blame it is Remus Lupin. He brought it all upon himself."

"Yeah, I suppose he did." She was struck by the fact that Narcissa's hair smelled strongly of strawberries and hair straightening potion. 

"Of course he did!" Narcissa pulled away from her best friend, holding her at arms' length and smiling. "Now _be happy_. Slytherin is in the lead on points, there's a Quidditch match in a couple weeks, and classes haven't gotten too hard yet."  

"Yeah, Laur," Lucius said, packing up his Gobstone set. "Let the Gryffs deal with their own issues."

"You're right," she said, nodding. "I need to keep my focus where it belongs." But even as she said it, Lauralie was sure that it would be far harder than her friends anticipated.  

*    *    *

Even two weeks later, relations in the Gryffindor common room were icy at best. They had fallen into a designated seating chart without ever discussing it.  

Sirius would sit on the old couch closest to the fire, with the gaudy gold-trimmed pillows and sagging seat cushions. Next to him was usually Magdalene, sitting erect with one of her legs tucked under her. Sometimes she'd be helping him with their homework, otherwise they were each studying different subjects.

Occasionally, when his subject started to bore him, Sirius would reach over and seize the tip of one of her dark curls. He'd pull it out until it was straight, then release it and watch it spring back the way it had been. Mags would promptly whack him with one of the ugly pillows before returning to her work.  

Across from this was a far nicer burgundy couch. The usual inhabitants of this particular couch were Peter and Audrina. Peter sat hunched over a book or his notes. Audrina, on the other hand, would lean back and prop her feet up on the coffee table, flipping through the latest issue of _Witch Weekly_.  

Next to this was a table, generally piled high on Lily's end with books and schoolwork. Lily had a habit of over-researching her topics. She's sit amid this chaos of books and paper working diligently on whatever homework she had left for the evening.  

Also at the table was James, sandwiched between Lily and Lindsay McConaugha. His bit of table would generally contain only one book and perhaps some notes. And he spent more time attempting to distract Lily than paying attention to either of these items. Lily was well rehearsed at ignoring this.  

Lindsay would be the quietest of the lot if it weren't for Peter and Remus. She was a year below the rest of them and was cautious about stepping on toes by pushing her way fully into the group. She's sit at her end of the table, twisting a bit of her hair around her finger, a schoolbook or novel lying open on the table, reading. She's occasionally look up to listen to Sirius and James have an exchange via raised voices from their separate positions in the room. She'd occasionally attempt to engage Remus in conversation, an attempt that failed more often as time passed.  

Remus was detached from the others, in an armchair that sat at an angle from the table. A  month ago he would have dragged the chair around to face the others and become an active participant in the hubbub. He, James, and Sirius were notorious for their schemes and pranks. And now they hardly spoke.  

Today though, Lily apparently had decided enough was enough. 

"Oh this is so _ridiculous_," she said, snapping her History of Magic book closed. "Will you two grow up and talk to each other?"

Everyone looked up. It was late, and they were the only ones left in the common room.

"Oh boy," James said, starting to pile up his notes. "As fun as this could be, I think I'll head to bed."

Lily glared at him as he headed up the steps to the dormitory. Emboldened by James' escape, the others began packing up for bed as well. Remus stopped next to Lily and whispered: 

"I appreciate the effort, but you're wasting your time. He doesn't want to talk to me."

She sighed. Magdalene was still lingering, unsure whether to leave or stay. She tried to stand but Sirius grabbed the edge of her school robes and pulled her back down into her seat.

"I could really use your help with this Potions assignment," he said.

"It's not due till next week," she said. 

"You can't avoid talking to me alone forever," Lily said, her hands on her hips.

Magdalene marveled at how such a delicate and feminine girl like Lily could resemble a fire-breathing dragon.  

"I'm going to go," Magdalene said, gathering her books into her bag.

"You don't need to go," Sirius said, looking as if he might pull her back down again. 

"Goodnight Mags," Lily said, her voice rang with finality.

"Goodnight," Magdalene said, heading towards the stairs. "Oh and Lil, be gentle."

Sirius groaned loudly, falling back into the couch with a thump.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice you'd been avoiding me?" she asked.

"Look Lily, I really just don't want to talk about it."

"Tough luck!" She took Magdalene's place on the couch. "Do you really think ignoring this, and ignoring Remus is going to make everything better?"

"Remus and I are no longer friends," he said evenly. "And I believe he is in agreement with that."

"Are you _listening _to yourself?" she asked. "You believe he is _in agreement_? He's miserable."

"And that's probably what he deserves."

"And Lauralie? Does she deserve to have the end of your friendship on her shoulders?"

Sirius fell quiet for a moment. "I hadn't thought she would be bothered by it."

"Of course you hadn't," Lily said. "But if you'd open your eyes every once in a while you'd see that she's been throwing guilty looks your way ever since it happened."  

Sirius was staring into the fire now, watching the flames dance and spark.

"What do you think I should do?" he asked, not looking up from the flames.

"Well _I_ think you should talk to Remus." Sirius grunted but Lily continued as if she had not heard him. "But since you probably won't want to do that, you should at _least_ talk to your sister."  

He sighed and nodded.

Satisfied with their exchange, Lily bid Sirius goodnight and crept up to her dormitory. She could hear the faint sounds of a quill on parchment coming from Magdalene's four-poster. She had probably stayed up to write in her diary. Lily thought for a moment about doing the same, but drifted off to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

*    *     *

"Good luck today, Lauralie," a Hufflepuff girl called out as she passed the Slytherin table in the Great Hall.

"You can definitely tell it is a Quidditch match day," Narcissa said. "What's that, the _tenth_ person to wish you good luck?"

"I must say this is the first time the Slytherin team has had supporters in other houses," Lucius said. "For the two years I've been here the other houses would always cheer for whoever was _against_ us in the match."

Lauralie didn't say anything, she picked at her lunch in silence, occasionally nodding to her well-wishers.

She was beginning to feel the pressure. It was as if every female in the school was counting on her to be splendid and amazing, and lately she had felt that she was neither. She glanced over at the Gryffindor table and watched Remus eat silently.

Lauralie had perhaps noticed more about Remus' descent into deep depression than she really should have. Whereas Sirius had his happy moments, it seemed like Remus was sinking farther into isolation and despair.  

And Lauralie felt it was entirely her fault.

She dropped her fork on her plate and pushed her chair away from the table.

"I think I'll head down to the locker room early," she said, standing.

"Do you want me to walk with you?" Severus asked. He looked concerned.

"That's okay, finish your lunch," she answered. "I'll see you down there when you're done."

She strode swiftly out of the Great Hall. Severus considered following after her, but in the end turned right back to his food.

*    *    *

Lauralie was almost out the front doors when she heard someone calling her name.

She turned to see Sirius jogging across the Entrance Hall towards her.  

"Are you in a hurry or something?" he asked, once he'd caught up to her.

"Not particularly, no."

"Look, I wanted to talk to you about what happened," he began.

She sighed. "I already _know_ what happened."

"I know, but I'm worried about you," he said. "I just wanted to tell you…"

He paused here, looking into his sister's eyes. Years from then, he would consider this the moment he realized how complex and mature his baby sister had truly become. He'd be able to close his eyes and clearly see her standing in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts, her hands in her pockets, here eyes dark and brooding. He'd play the scene, and others, over in his head once he was in Azkaban. They would help keep him sane.  

"I just wanted to tell you that it's not your fault."

She balled her hands into fists of frustration. "Oh? Then whose fault would it be?"  

"His fault," Sirius said, then added "and my fault" as an afterthought. "But definitely not your fault.

She turned away from him. "I really wish I could convince myself of that," she said, her voice lowered so that it was barely above a whisper.

Sirius stepped forward, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. It was probably the most brotherly gesture he had taken towards her ever since she had been sorted into Slytherin the previous year.  

"Tell me what I can do to make this better."

She turned to face him again, her eyes hopeful. "Talk to him," she said. "Be his friend again."

"I thought you were mad at him…"

"I was… I _am_," she answered. "But he looks so depressed. And he doesn't deserve to be so lonely. It just breaks my heart to see him so…"

She broke off.

"I'll consider it," Sirius said.

She nodded, turning to head down to the locker rooms.

"Laur, I'll be cheering for you today," Sirius said. "So do good."

Lauralie smiled for the first time that day. "Thanks, Sirius."  

*    *    *

Narcissa, Katia, and Anastasia found seats in the same section of stands they usually sat in. Not too long after they had sat, the Gryffindor gang turned up.  

Remus and Lindsay sat to one side of them. Lily, Peter, James and Audrina sat behind them. And then Sirius and Magdalene sat at the other end.

Narcissa looked mildly disgusted. "Boxed in by Gryffindors," she moaned. "Just what I've always wanted."

"I'm sure you've dreamt about it for ages," James said, flashing her a smile.

She merely rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the pitch.

It was quite clear when the teams made their entrances which one was the favorite for that particular match.  

Max Jordan was once again manning the magical megaphone.

"Good evening Ladies, Gentleman, and Slytherins," he greeted. There was scattered booing from a few green-clad Slytherins. "Today's Quidditch match will be Ravenclaw versus Slytherin!"  

There were whoops and cheers all around as the teams converged and Ludo Bagman shook Alexander Seaborn's hand.

"Playing for Ravenclaw today we have: Finch, Holloman, Craddock, Seaborn, Katz, Worsley, aaaand Cornelius Clearwater!"

There were cheers from a sea of blue in the stands to their left.

"On the Slytherin team today we have: Bagman, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Black-" The cheers of the crowd roared so high that you could hardly hear Jordan say "Snape and Lucius Malfoy!"

Lauralie couldn't help but smile when she saw the Gryffindors surrounding her friends. They were all waving small triangular Slytherin flags, even Remus.  

"And here's the toss up… Slytherin in possession!" Jordan's voice rang out. "Black to Parkinson. Parkinson passes to Goyle. Goyle is setting up to score…. He shoots and, BLOCKED by Ravenclaw keeper Michael Worsley."

Groans echoed through the stands as Seaborn swept off towards the Slytherin goal posts with the Quaffle. Ludo hit a Bludger at him, but he dodged and dropped the Quaffle to Katz. Katz pelted past Lucius so fast the breeze left behind ruffled his hair.

Katz passed back to Seaborn who attempted the shot.

"Excellent block by Severus Snape, he tosses the Quaffle to Black and she's off again."

Lauralie marveled at how poorly the Ravenclaw team was playing. Seaborn was good, and the keeper Worsley was giving her a run for her money, but aside from that the rest of the team seemed unpracticed.  

The teams were alternating possession, each making unsuccessful shots.

Finally, Lauralie sank a goal past Worsley, making the score 10 to 0.  

She was about to intercept him when Lucius went into a spectacular dive. Clearwater following shortly behind.  

"Looks like they've spotted the snitch!"

Lauralie couldn't resist stopping in mid air to watch them dive, Lucius was really a spectacular flier. And Clearwater was right there next to him.

Narcissa was standing on her chair dancing up and down. "Come _on _Lucius!"

Lucius pulled his broom up level, and tumbled lightly to the ground, his hand tightly grasping the small golden snitch.

"SLYTHERIN WINS!" Jordan announced. "Final score: 160 to 0."

It was the shortest Quidditch match Lauralie had ever seen, lasting no longer than twenty minutes. But that didn't matter, they'd won.

*    *    *

The grounds were almost eerily silent as Lauralie walked pensively along the edge of the lake, her cloak shimmered in the soft moonlight. 

Her mind wandered aimlessly, she found nights on the Hogwarts grounds to be very relaxing when she couldn't sleep. She had not returned to her usual haunt atop the Astronomy Tower since her run-in with Remus there.  

She heard its breathing before she saw it. It sounded almost like wind, but Lauralie could tell as she neared the bend in her path that it was not.  

The ground shook softly beneath her feet as she walked.

The part of her governed by common sense advised her to turn around, but the part of her driven by curiosity and a thirst for adventure won out. She stepped around the bend and nearly fainted in surprise.   

There, standing near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, was a dragon. 

She stepped backwards, hoping to flee without being noticed. She stepped on a twig that snapped loudly.

The dragon's head darted around, its eyes fixed exactly on her.

Lauralie commanded her cloak to hide her from view, but she knew that was pointless. Dragon's vision was not based on light refraction, as is humans. Instead they see based on heat, and while her cloak could make her appear invisible to a human, it did not block her body heat from the dragon's eyes.

It rose onto its massive hind legs, at its full height it towered over even the highest trees of the Forbidden Forrest.

Lauralie gazed up at it. She knew what was coming long before it happened. It opened massive jaws and the last thing she saw was fire, then all was black.

--------

Author's Notes: I promise the next chapter won't take me too long. I'll write it right after I write the chapter for Chronicles. runs and hides in her flame proof hut


	10. Of Dreams and Dragons

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

**Chapter 10: Of Dreams and Dragons**

DISCLAIMER: Many apologies if this chapter has too much touchy-feely or frilliness as it was originally written in pink pen.  

----------------------------

When Lauralie regained consciousness, she wasn't entirely sure where she was. Part of her expected to be in the hospital wing, tucked into one of the pristine white beds, with Madam Pomfrey hovering over her with a stern expression which only partially hides her worry.  

But when she opened her eyes, she did not see a line of empty hospital beds, instead she found herself staring into the tangled roots of the trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

She used her arms to push herself into a sitting position, curling her legs around so that she was kneeling. There was a throbbing pain on the back of her head, her hand moved to the area reflexively.  

She could feel a fairly large bump there, and touching it caused a shock of pain to shoot through her body.  She stood and looked down at the roots where her head had been resting. A wave of dizziness came over her, and it took her a moment to steady herself. Her mind was working swiftly to put the pieces of the puzzle together.  

_I must have tried to run and fell. No, I was on my back, so I didn't turn to run. I must have stepped back and tripped.  And when I hit my head on the roots I lost consciousness. But what happened to the **dragon?  **_

Lauralie whirled around to where she'd seen it, but there was nothing there. Her head was swimming as she walked around on the same area it had been standing on and found nothing.

_No prints. No broken roots or sticks. Nothing. _Lauralie held her head as a headache began to bloom. _There was no dragon..._

Lauralie was suddenly beginning to question her sanity. She clutched a hand to her chest, her breath had become ragged and her pulse was racing.

She was starting to panic. She took one last forlorn look where the dragon had been standing before fleeing back to the Slytherin dorms.

Lauralie met no resistance in the halls. She remained invisible but she was making no effort to hide her presence otherwise. Her footfalls echoed through the dungeons as she ran full tilt to the Slytherin Common room's entrance. The snake that guarded it looked mildly amused as it let her in.

She threw herself into her bed, cloak and all, ignoring the fact that she had dirt and grass caked on her from the fall. A single thought graced her mind before sleep overcame her.  

_I'm losing my mind_.

*    *    *

It was a fairly dull Saturday afternoon in the Gryffindor common room. They had fallen back into their protective seating arrangement without a second thought.

There was little to no conversation, everyone was well absorbed into whatever task they had at hand. No one, except maybe Magdalene, noticed that Sirius' eyes were drifting over to Remus far more than normal.  
Remus was so involved in the book he was reading he paid this no mind whatsoever. Sirius turned to Magdalene as if silently asking for encouragement. He had told her the night before of what Lauralie had requested of him.

Magdalene had agreed whole-heartedly and was now nodding and urging him to go with her eyes.

Finally, he nodded and stood up quietly. The ever-observant Lily was the first to realize what was going on, she elbowed James gently so that he would look up. Peter looked up also; he looked worried. In fact, they all looked as if they were preparing to jump up and pry Sirius off of Remus should they need to. Sirius leaned on the table where James, Lily, and Lindsay were working, running his hand almost nervously through his hair before speaking.  

"Remus, I could really use your help on that Defense against the Dark Arts essay on Vampires," he said in a casual tone.

Remus looked up, surprised. But even from afar, Magdalene could see the relief spread across his face.  

"I'll help you," Remus said. "Just let me go get my book."

It was one of those infamous guy apologies. Remus would never say 'I'm sorry I kissed your sister', nor would Sirius say 'I shouldn't have over-reacted', but that underlying meaning was discerned in a matter of moments.  

And as Magdalene moved over to allow room for Remus to take a seat on Sirius' other side, all those present could not help but feel things were finally starting to get back to normal.

Well, as normal as things ever could be at Hogwarts.

*    *    *

"What do you suppose is keeping Lauralie?" Severus asked.

He, Lucius, and Narcissa were sitting at a table in the Slytherin Common room. Lauralie had yet to descend from her dormitory.

"I think she was having problems sleeping last night," Narcissa said, not looking up from the homework she was working on. "I heard her moving around late last night."

"Maybe I should go check on her," he said.

"_You_ are not allowed in the girls' dormitory," Narcissa said, indignantly tossing some of her shiny, stick-straight blond hair over her shoulder.

"Its not like it would be the first time I've been in there." Severus allowed a sly smile to cross his face.

"I'm going to pretend I never heard that!"

"Good morning, Sleepy Head," Lucius said to a figure that had just descended the steps.

Lauralie, Slytherin mask of stone in place, trudged over and collapsed into the chair next to Severus.

"We were starting to wonder if you were going to sleep all day," Severus said. His underlying tone said more: _I was worried you weren't feeling well. Are you all right?_

"And miss lunch?" she asked lightly.

"Mmm. I could definitely use some lunch," Narcissa said.

"I second that," Lucius agreed. "Vampire Essays can wait till later." He closed his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook with trademark Malfoy flare. 

Severus didn't say anything as they packed up their things and headed to the Great Hall. He was watching Lauralie closely. Something was wrong, he just couldn't quite put his finger on what just yet.

They sat down at the Slytherin table in their usual array, with Lucius and Narcissa on one side and then Severus and Lauralie across from them. Severus waited for Lucius to launch into a monologue about how little he enjoyed History of Magic before turning to Lauralie.

"Is something wrong?" Severus asked in a low voice.

"No. I've just been having problems falling asleep," she answered. "The tiredness is just starting to catch up to me I suppose."

Lauralie was trying to sound nonchalant but he could see right through her. He leaned closer. "You know you can talk to me if you need to."

"I'm _okay_," she insisted. "I'll look into making a Dreamless Sleep potion, it can't be that difficult I'm sure. I'll be _fine_."

Severus let the subject drop, but his brain was still working. _Why not make a regular sleeping potion? Why Dreamless Sleep? What exactly has she been dreaming about that now she doesn't want to dream at all?_

The Gryffindor Gang turned up about half way through their meal, and even the sight of Remus and Sirius walking together couldn't raise Lauralie's spirits more than a tiny bit.  

They were talking and laughing as if the brawl in the Library had never even occurred. The others looked almost relieved. And Remus was smiling for the first time in weeks.

Things in Gryffindor seemed to be falling back into place.

Lauralie felt practically envious. For the first time since she had been sorted, Lauralie wanted to be a Gryffindor. She didn't want a powerful Cloak of Destiny. She didn't want to have strange visions and dreams. She didn't want to be the Heir of Slytherin.

Lauralie wanted, in that moment, to be 'normal'. She wanted to sit with Magdalene and talk about poetry. Or talk Quidditch with her brother. Or even debate Dark Arts defense theories with Remus. She wanted the biggest thing on her mind to be the History of Magic homework, or practices for the next Quidditch match.  

But that wasn't who she was, and deep down she realized that.

Remus glanced over and their eyes met briefly. He frowned before turning back to his friends. He'd seen what Severus had seen.

Something was wrong.

*    *    *

The long drag from mid-November to the beginning of the Christmas holidays was uneventful. Worries about strange visions and insomnia were replaced with end-of-term cramming.  

Lauralie signed the list to remain at school for the holidays without a second thought. Once the shock of her encounter near the Forbidden Forest faded, her life had returned to a fairly normal state. She didn't mention the event to anyone, and Severus had the presence mind not to ask her just yet.  

On the last day of term, Sirius, Magdalene and Lily braved a visit to the Slytherin table to say goodbye to Lauralie.

"Are you sure you don't want to come home?" Sirius asked.

Severus looked as if he might answer for her for a moment, but she calmed him with a glance. As touching as it was that Sirius had asked, Lauralie was still set on staying at Hogwarts.  

"I'm sure," she answered. "I like it here during Christmas, I could use the peace and quiet."

Sirius had the common sense not to push the issue. He surprised all the Slytherins by hugging his sister goodbye before the three Gryffindors returned to their own house table.

Finally, after two days of students frantically packing and returning borrowed possessions, the Slytherin quarters emptied.

This left Severus, Lauralie, and, unfortunately, Rita Skeeter.

Rita stayed separate from them, off in her own little corner of the Common Room with a book open in her lap.

Severus and Lauralie had quickly fallen into their Holiday habit from the previous year. They were perched on the hearth playing chess and occasionally sharing a bit of casual chat.

Rita was doing a fairly bad job of pretending they weren't there. She'd throw them annoyed looks and roll her eyes at them. Eventually she realized that they weren't going to pay her any mind and trudged rather loudly up the stairs to her dormitory.  .

"I thought she'd _never_ leave," Severus said. "Checkmate."  

"How long have you been holding off on that?" Lauralie asked, giving him an appreciative grin.  

"Ten minutes," he said. He sat up, crossing his legs beneath him. "I didn't want to start another game, and we couldn't really talk with her here, so I postponed my checkmate just long enough."  

"How crafty of you," she said. She was putting her chess pieces gently back into their box.

Severus watched with quizzical eyes. All month he'd seen small signs that something was bothering his best friend. But whatever it was, she had yet to make the issue public.

"Are you ready to tell me what's going on?" he asked. She had the presence of mind to look mildly bewildered, but Severus was not fooled for a second.  

He fixed Lauralie with his cool, concerned gaze, his expression clearly indicated that he didn't buy her front of ignorance.  

She sighed. "Its nothing," she said. "_Really._"

"Brewing a month's worth of Dreamless Sleep potion for yourself is not 'nothing'," Severus said. "You can become dependent on that stuff, you know?"  

"I'm not going to become dependent on Dreamless Sleep potion."  

"Oh, are you immune to its addictive properties now?" he asked.

"Jeez, why do you _care?" she asked, her voice conveyed her annoyance._

Severus fell silent a moment, his eyes distant. He finally turned and focused his eyes on her once more. "Because you are my best friend, LB," he said. "And I care about you, and I'm worried."

She turned away, her hair fell in front of her shoulder, shielding her face from his view. She slumped back so that she was resting against the dragon hide armchair closest to the fire, the rough pebbly texture of the dragon leather contrasted nicely with her soft flowing hair.

After a moment, she turned back to him, her eyes glassy. "I'm sorry to worry you, Sev. I just don't know what to say… it's really hard to explain."

He moved next to her, taking one of her hands into his. "Try." There, sitting on the floor next to her, leaning against the legs of the armchair, Severus could not help but marvel at how delicate her hand felt in his. He ran his thumb gently over her fingers as he waited for her to speak. 

She took a deep breath and he squeezed her hand encouragingly. "I've been having dreams…"

"About?"

"Dragons. And at first I thought it was just because of all the talk about Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy going after those migrating dragons, but the dreams have become progressively more vivid."

"What was the dream about that night after the Quidditch match? When you slept in till lunch time?"

"That night I didn't have a dream," she answered. "See, when I can't sleep I tend to go out and walk on the grounds. I used to go to the Astronomy tower, but ever since that thing with Remus up there I haven't gone back.  Sev, that night I saw one when I was awake . IT was standing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. When it tried to attack me I fell and hit my head…"  

Severus gripped her hand tighter and looked as if he was considering giving her head a close examination for a bump, even though this had occurred nearly a month ago.

"And then it vanished."

"It vanished as in it flew away? Or it was never there to begin with?" He asked this although he was quite sure he already knew the answer.

"It wasn't real," she said. "I'd hallucinated the whole thing. Do you think I'm losing my mind?"

Severus shook his head. "You aren't losing your mind. It's all happening for some specific reason. I'll help you figure it out."

Lauralie felt a surge of relief and gratitude. She leaned to her left, resting some of her weight on him and placed her head gently on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Severus," she said quietly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."  

In that moment Severus had to fight off the urge to take her in his arms. He wanted to tell her she would never have to be without him as long as he could help it. He wanted to promise her eternity. But in the end he just ran one of his hands along the length of her hair and rested his head gently on hers. _I don't know what **I **would do without **you**, Lauralie._

-------

Author's End Notes: ***runs and hides in her flame  proof hut calling over her shoulder "Please review, but be nice!"***


	11. Gifts

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

**Chapter 11: **Gifts

The Library was reassuringly empty when Severus and Lauralie entered the next morning. 

Lauralie reveled in the silent peacefulness of the Library. Even the empty Slytherin Common Room didn't have the calming quality that was found amongst the shelves. She headed straight to a table all the way in the back, Severus following obediently.  

They didn't know what exactly they were looking for. They knew that Lucius' parents had mentioned the dragons migrating once before. But they didn't know when, or to where, or how to find out.  

Lauralie dropped her bag in a chair at the table and flopped down. She had dark circles under her eyes, and Severus suspected she hadn't slept very much the night before.  

After much persuasion he had convinced her to stop taking the Dreamless Sleep potion. The idea of her becoming addicted to it made him feel ill, and she finally agreed he was probably right. Together they'd dumped the remainder of it down the toilet.  

"Where do you suppose we should look first?" she asked, gazing at the shelves around them in a dispirited manner.  

"Well, I say we try to look into books about the _history_ of dragons," Severus answered. "I mean it would make sense that this migration would be documented somewhere."

"You hope," she said.

They hunched over the Library catalogue for a while, jotting down a list of any and all books that could possibly mention the migration, even in passing. Once they were done gathering them all they sat amongst the stacks and read silently, occasionally tossing comments to each other.  

"Nothing about dragon migration in _Dragons: Not Just Full Of Hot Air_," Lauralie said, tossing the book into their 'read' pile, which had, after two hours or so of reading, grown quite large.

Severus made an annoyed groan. "Maybe we are approaching this at the wrong angle," he said, tossing the volume he had been reading aside as well.  

"And what other angle _is_ there?"

"If we had a name, any name, of someone who studied the phenomenon," he said. "Or… or we knew where they migrated to, we could go at it that way."

"But we don't _know_ any of that," she hissed. "Or we wouldn't be looking for it!"

They were both beyond frustrated. Lauralie just shook her head and picked up another book, flipping to the index.

"I think I've seen enough indexes to last me my entire lifespan," she said. "Maybe you are right, this isn't working we should just give u-"

She stopped, and Severus looked up sharply. "Did you find something?"

She was flipping rapidly through the pages of the book as he rushed to her side of the table. He read over her shoulder:

There is no real evidence that dragons migrate in the same fashion that birds do. It is rumored that a migration was documented boy Salvatore Slytherin, but none of his papers or research have ever been found to prove this. And no dragon migration has been documented since.

"Who on earth is Salvatore Slytherin?" Lauralie asked.

"I have no idea," he answered, his hair brushed her shoulder as he looked down at the book. "But it is a start." He squeezed her shoulder encouragingly.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Now we just have to find out who he is."

*    *    *

Diagon Alley was crowded with people rushing to and fro doing their holiday shopping. In fact, Sirius had to fight to grab an empty table at the Leaky Cauldron. He ordered a Butterbeer and waited impatiently, watching the wizards and witches at the bar chatting about their purchases over drinks.

He smiled as a mildly disgruntled Magdalene Martinez flopped in the chair opposite him, still brushing cinders from her curly hair.  

"All right, I'm here," she said. "Now what is this big important favor you need?"  

"I need you to help me find a Christmas present for Lauralie," he said.

She blinked at him. "And you asked _me?_" 

"Well, you're a girl," he explained. "And I'm... well, I'm _not_."

She just sat and stared at him, torn between rolling her eyes and hugging him.

"Look, the thing is, I didn't send her a present last year," Sirius continued. "It was in the middle of all the hubbub and we weren't speaking. And she sent me a Christmas card anyway. And I mean, I know that's not much, but I felt so _horrible_ because she'd at least acknowledged me and I had pretended like she didn't exist. So I need to get her something she'll really love this year to make up for it. But I'm hopeless, Mags."  

"That is so sweet," Magdalene said.

His face flushed bright red, but she ignored it. She stood, grabbed him by the arm and forced him up as well.

"Okay then, we can do this," she said. "But you will definitely owe me."

"I'll buy you a nice present as well," he said. "I'll just have to drag Lily out here to help me pick it out."

They laughed as they joined the crowds of shoppers on the Diagon Alley streets.

*    *    *

Severus and Lauralie had abandoned their previous table and had stacked another one up with books on old Wizarding families. It had taken them an hour to find even the smallest mention of a person by the name of Salvatore Slytherin. There were hundreds of references to Salazar Slytherin, but nothing that helped.  

Finally they came across a book with a full outline of the Slytherin family tree, beginning with Salazar Slytherin, and ending sometime in the earlier part of the century.  

"There he is," Severus said, triumphantly, jabbing his finger at the page.

"So he was Salazar Slytherin's _son_?"

"Looks like it, the younger of two," Severus said, flipping through the book to find the page about him.  

Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was father to two boys. Kyne Slytherin, the eldest, succeeded to his father's position of Head of Slytherin House after Salazar died of an unknown illness at the age of sixty. Kyne is said to have harbored a dangerous fascination with the Dark Arts. So much so that the other staff members fought to keep him from taking over his father's position. Salvatore Slytherin was a scholar who stayed on at Hogwarts to teach both Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. He had a great fascination with nature and animals.  

"So it would make sense that he had studied Dragons," Lauralie said. "If only we could find out what he saw."

Severus slammed the book closed, looking disgruntled. "I don't think we are going to find anything." He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb.

As much as she didn't want to, she had to agree with him. He'd done so much already and he looked both tired and bored. Glancing out the window, she realized that the sun was setting and they hadn't left the Library since they came in shortly after breakfast.  

"You're right. I know you're right," she mumbled, collapsing in the chair next to him. "This may just be as close as we are going to get. Let's just put the books up and go to dinner."

He gazed at the two tables piled high with thick volumes. 

"You take that table, I'll take this one," Severus said. "I'll race you."

"No fair, that table has less books," she said, giggling as she ran to grab a stack.

"No it doesn't!" He'd dashed down a row of shelves, shoving books back in their places.

Lauralie grabbed a stack of books from her table and dumped them on his, laughing.

"Loser pays the winner a Galleon," she called, following him down the aisle.  

"Fine, but those books you added to my table _don't count._"

*    *    *

Magdalene and Sirius were pouring over a jewelry counter in Diagon Alley. They'd been shopping all day and it was already well into the evening, yet Sirius hadn't picked out a single thing for his sister.  

"You are too picky," Mags said, poking him in the arm.

"I just can't make myself buy her jewelry," he said. "That's something you buy a girl when you _like_ them."

Magdalene nodded thoughtfully. "Didn't Snape give her a bracelet for her birthday?" She spoke casually but she knew how he'd react.  

"Snape does not _like_ my sister _like that_," he growled.

"See, so Severus can buy Lauralie jewelry but you can't?" she asked gently.

He'd fallen right into the trap, just as she'd predicted. She had to hide a smile as he muttered to himself. _He looks so adorable when he's flustered._

She'd spend the last twenty minutes trying to convince him to buy her a ring she'd found in an old second hand store. It was a snake coiled around a small green stone. The creepy thing about it was the snake itself had tiny gems for its eyes that glittered and made the snake seem almost alive.  

It was the perfect gift for any Slytherin, and Mags was quite sure Lauralie would love it. But Sirius had reservations.

He slipped it on his pinky finger. He turned to her and in the girliest voice he could muster asked: "Does it look good on me?"

"Simply stunning, darling," she cooed and they dissolved into giggles.

A couple of passing customers glared at them which only caused them to laugh harder, in the end Sirius was holding onto Mags' shoulder to keep from sinking to the ground. She regained control first, gazing at where his hand rested on her arm, and then back up at his face.  

He smiled down at her for a moment before realizing he was still touching her and pulling his hand away. They stood in silence for a moment, just looking at each other.

"So, um... you really think she'll like it?" he asked, slipping it off his finger.  

"I know she will."

*    *    *

The week before Christmas was entirely uneventful for the students of Hogwarts and consisted mainly of lazy days wandering in the snow on the grounds, and evenings huddling near the fire in the Common room.   

Lauralie enjoyed the opportunity to stay up late in Severus' company, instead of forcing herself into bed and waiting for sleep to finally overcome her. 

They had sat up and played chess into the wee hours of Christmas morning before they finally went to bed, yet Lauralie still awoke at the first light of dawn.

She smiled when she saw the small heap of presents at the foot of her bed, neatly stacked and ready for her to open.  She slipped on her slippers and sank down on the floor next to them.

The first present was from her mother and it was a fuzzy black muff to keep her hands warm. Lauralie slipped her hands into it for a moment and smiled. She sat it aside and moved onto her presents from Narcissa and Lucius, which, incidentally, happened to coincide. From Lucius a bottle of magical shimmering ink that changed colors depending on the mood of the writer, and from Narcissa a set of highly ornate quills.  

The next present was from Severus, and it was another charm to go on her charm bracelet, this one was a broom. She clipped it on gently and smiled. She hadn't realized on her birthday, but she supposed this was his way of making any future shopping easy. Just buy her another charm. In a way it was the best present in the world. The first charm, the chess piece, was for their nights playing chess. This one was because of Quidditch.  

If he kept at it she would have a wrist full of memories, and that was the best gift he could ever give her.

Mags had been right, she _loved_ the ring, and put it on immediately. _I never knew Sirius had such nice taste. _She marveled at it for a moment. It was odd for him to pick a piece of jewelry with a snake on it. Even if they were getting along better as of recently, he had still never fully accepted the fact that she was Slytherin. At least, he had never admitted to it. In a way, the ring was almost a way of saying that he didn't mind her being associated with Slytherin.

The next present she should have expected, it was from Remus.

She looked down at the tag suspiciously. She hadn't expected anything from him. She had not sent him so much as a card. Simply because he hadn't tried to talk to her in over a month, she assumed that any fragment of friendship that could have been salvaged was long gone.

She ripped off the paper to reveal a camera. It took her a moment to realize what it was: it was an InstaMagic, the newest in photographic technology. You hit the button it spits out a piece of paper and in a couple minutes you have a fully developed wizard picture. The quality would not be as good as a normal camera, but it was cool nonetheless.  

Lauralie smiled as she picked up the photo that had fallen out of the wrappings, it was a group shot of the entire Gryffindor gang posing in front of the fire in their common room. She turned it over and on the back was a note, scrawled in Remus' hand.

"This just seemed like something you would have fun with. I'm sorry for being such a ridiculous prat recently. Forgive me?  - Remus"  

She held it in her hand for a moment, gazing back and forth from the camera to the picture before making a silent decision. She held up the camera, put on her best smile and took a picture of herself. She flipped over the undeveloped picture and wrote a single word on the back: "Forgiven."

She was about to get up and go owl it when a plain brown package on her bedside table caught her eye.  

She'd been wondering for a couple weeks now if she'd receive another present from the mystery benefactor who sent her the Cloak of Destiny. She dropped the picture on the bed and snatched it up.  

It was smaller than she had expected, and she tore the brown paper from it , her pulse racing through her veins.

*    *    *

Severus was jolted awake when his dormitory door opened with a loud _BANG_ that reverberated through the room.

"Severus, you won't believe it."

Only Lauralie could wake up Severus before he was ready to get up and not be cursed for it.

"I won't believe what?" he asked groggily.

"He... she... _they_ sent me another present," she said. "With a note saying it might be useful. Open your eyes and look will you."

He opened his eyes as she shoved what looked to be a leather-bound book into his hand. No, not leather, dragon hide.

"So he sent you a diary, what is your point?"

"It's already been written in," she hissed. 

"He gave you someone else's diary," Severus asked, clearly not awake enough to absorb everything.

"_YES!_ And look inside the cover."

Severus relented, opening the book and what he saw there woke him up in an instant. Scribbled in the top left corner of the cover was the name that had been weaving its way in and out of their conversations all week: Salvatore Slytherin.

~~~~~~~~

WARNING: SHAMELESS PLUG AHEAD.

THE FOLLOWING IS A PREVIEW FOR ANOTHER ONE OF MY STORIES:

_In a world where war rages..._  
  
A woman, cloaked in black Death Eater robes, steps silently over bodies in a bloodied battle field.  
  
_And fear reigns... _  
  
A group of onlookers, still in their nightclothes, look on as Flourish and Blotts burns. The dark mark shines in the midnight sky above them.   
  
_The few brave at heart fight for the freedom of all._  
  
Wizards and witches gathered in a round room covered in old portraits (Dumbledore's Office). Dumbledore steps forward, his eyes moving slowly from one person to another.  
  
"We now must decide our next course of action," he says, "Do we take the offense, and attack. Or do we stand back and wait, and prepare ourselves for the final siege."  
  
A woman with dark, curly hair trades look with the hansom man next to her (Sirius Black). He shakes his head solemnly, his eyes full of worry.  
  
_Heroes will surface from the least likely of places..._  
  
Severus Snape, his hair tied back, franticly brews a potion. The dark cauldron bubbles rapidly as he pours in ingredients. A figure lies, unconscious, on a cot behind him.   
  
_And enemies will arise from allies..._  
  
Peter Pettigrew sits with Sirius, James, and Remus. He is smiling and laughing with them as they talk.  
  
_Some choose to live their lives in fear..._  
  
Zenobia stops on the sidewalk, wind tossing about her hair. She watches silently as a wizarding family boards up their windows and barriers their door.   
  
_But others choose to forge on..._  
  
James Potter and Lily Evans stand at the altar. Sirius Black smiles as he watches them kiss.  
  
_Unfortunately, regardless of how pure the intentions..._  
  
Lily cradles her newborn child in her arms, smiling broadly.  
  
"I think I'll name him Harry."  
  
_Dark times..._  
  
Remus kneels on the floor, shackled with pure silver chains. He gazes up at his captor with pure disgust. His hair is disheveled, and one of his left eyelid droops over his eye.  
  
"What have you to say for yourself, werewolf?"  
  
_Call for Dark Measures..._  
  
Sirius and Zenobia stand over a Death Eater. Zenobia's dress is badly torn, her eyes angry and brooding. Sirius stands behind her, waiting for her to act.   
  
The screen goes dark and a voice rings out: CRUCIO!  
  
_Sirius: You can't die on me now, Boss._  
  
Zenobia and Remus sit on a bench in the hallway at St. Mungo's, a doctor comes out to meet them. Remus reaches over and takes her hand.  
  
_You know the ending..._  
  
A hooded figure laughs maliciously, as a red haired woman falls to his feet. He turns his wand on a young boy with sparkling green eyes.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA."  
  
Sirius, hunched over and chained, is lead solemnly into Azkaban.  
  
_But have you read the beginning?_  
  
Scenes flash by quickly:  
  
A dark mark rising into the sky.  
  
Zenobia breaking down a door, her wand in front of her.  
  
Sirius rushing to the side of a figure on the ground.  
  
Remus pulling Zenobia into his arms.  
  
James rocking baby Harry in his arms.  
  
Sirius lighting a cigarette with shaking hands.  
  
_Voldemort: It is time to make our true capabilities known._  
  
The screen goes blank and the title comes up:  
  
CHRONICLES OF DARKNESS: DARK MEASURES

(You can read it here at FFN, just click on my name at the top and go to my profile.)


	12. A Very Slytherin Christmas

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

Chapter 12: A Very Slytherin Christmas 

Severus spent the next quarter of an hour pacing back and forth through his room brandishing the Diary wildly and making speculations while Lauralie sat on the edge of his bed patiently. It wasn't till he had gotten out of the bed that the realization that she had stormed into his room while he was asleep hit her, because he was wearing nothing but flannel pajama bottoms. She was making an effort to divert her eyes from his bare chest and found herself staring at the meager pile of untouched presents at the foot of his bed.

"Are you listening?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to open your Christmas presents?" She looked up swiftly from the pile of gifts making sure not to pause to look at the flesh of his stomach before meeting his eyes.

"Okay, so you weren't listening." He sank down on the bed across from his looking mildly frustrated.

"Sorry, I just don't know what the point of theorizing is when we can just read the book and see what useful information is in it," she said. "And I don't really want to spend all of Christmas day pouring over it and taking notes and so forth."

"Then why, exactly, did you run in here like it was some big emergency to tell me?"

"I wanted you to know," she said, shrugging. "Are you sure you don't want to open your presents?"

He stared at her, sitting the diary down on his dresser. "Lauralie, you're my best friend, and usually we are on the same page, but right now I feel like you've reached the last chapter and I'm still flipping through the index trying to find the right page."

She stood, picking the diary up. "I'm going to go get dressed. You should… do the same. And open your presents."

"Okay," he answered with a slight hesitation.

"We'll start going through this after that," she said, tapping the diary.

She walked out of the room before he could say anything else, he just flopped back on the bed he was sitting on. "Girls."

*    *    *

The common room was empty when Lauralie came down, clad in a heavy knit sweater and Muggle jeans. She slipped into one of the green armchairs by the fire, drumming her fingers on the cover of the diary for a few moments before she opened it and began to read.

_I am beginning this diary because I have reached such a treacherous time in my life that there are so many thoughts running rampant in my mind I may go mad if I do not let them all out. I have no one to share them with any longer. My father is so jaded by my brother, Kyne, that any foul word spoken of him meets a deaf ear. So I have found myself the soul sanity in whatever insanity has taken hold of my family._

_I fear my brother has fallen into a darkness that he can not be recovered from. He has developed a dangerous fascination with the practice of Dark Magic. He brews poisons in his quarters late at night. And practices curses on whatever unfortunate creatures he can capture in the forest. I have heard their cries for help through the stone walls that separate our rooms and now they haunt my dreams._

"What are you reading?"

Lauralie jumped, snapping the diary closed with a loud WHAP. She looked up to see Rita Skeeter standing at the foot of the steps down from the girl's dormitories, holding a pink night robe around her.

"Nothing," Lauralie answered, tucking the diary under one of her legs.

Rita narrowed her eyes. "You looked really interested in it, it isn't one of those horrid romance novels is it?"

"It really isn't any of your business what I'm reading, Rita," Lauralie said, calmly.

"It is if it's something against the rules," Rita said, haughtily. "I'd hate to have to tell Lestrange you are reading books on dangerous Dark potions. She'd be so disappointed in you."

"Well it's good I'm not doing anything like that," Lauralie answered. "Now why don't you go do something useful, torture some poor innocent Hufflepuffs or something, I'm busy."

Rita narrowed her eyes again, but she didn't leave. Instead she sat down on one of the couches on the other side of the common room, and proceeded to read the copy of the Daily Prophet that she had tucked under her arm.

Severus shot her a dark look when he came in.

"Happy Christmas, Severus," she called, smiling.

"Happy Christmas, Rita," he mumbled as he past her. 

Lauralie rolled her eyes as he sat across from her and didn't trouble to lower her voice when she said. "The overgrown bat just has to hang about whenever she isn't wanted."

Rita pretended not to hear.

Severus turned his eyes to Lauralie, glancing down to see the corner of the diary sticking out from beneath her. She was fiddling idly with the broom charm on her bracelet.

"How did you get them?" he asked, just above a whisper.

The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "Uncle Rookwood sent them to me. It was the only way I could get them, the Apothecary wouldn't sell them to me."

"I can't imagine why," Severus said sarcastically. "Generally chimaera eggs are only used in highly advanced potions."

"Which would be why I bought them for you," she said, relaxing. "I am fairly sure you will put them to good use."

"I can't imagine what potion I would be making that would require them," he said, trailing off when she shifted her eyes abruptly. She moved them to Rita, who was still staring at the pages of the Daily Prophet, but her eyes were not moving.

"Oy, I'm hungry. Are you ready for breakfast?" she asked. _We'll discuss this later_.

They departed silently from the room, Lauralie carried the diary safely tucked under her arm. To keep herself from thinking about what the diary could contain, she instead focused on the length of Severus' strides. He had grown quite a bit over the summer and now she had to take nearly two steps for every one of his. 

 "She was being nosy, wasn't she?" he asked. 

 "Yes, very." 

 He stopped suddenly, grabbing a hold of her arm and jerking her to a hault. She turned, looking up at him. He stared down at her with his piercing black eyes. 

 "You can't tell anyone about the diary, Laur." 

 She looked up at him surprised. "Well, I wasn't planning to tell everyone, just the usual people." 

 His hands came down on her shoulders. "Not ever Lucius and Narcissa." She opened her mouth to ask him why, but he silenced her by placing one of his fingers on her lips. "I can't even explain to you why, I just know that whatever is in that book you probably aren't going to want everyone to know about until you are ready." 

 She closed her eyes. Keeping information from Narcissa would be impossible to say the least. When she opened her eyes again he was still watching her.

She never knew what to do when he did this. Under his cool gaze she suddenly became more aware of where his fingers gripped the flesh of her upper arm. She tried to return his gaze calmly, but she could feel her cheeks begin to redden. 

 His hands moved, now they were resting gently on her shoulders. "Please..." 

 She opened her mouth to respond but was unable to get a word out before the sound of the stone door to the Slytherin common room scraping open cut their conversation off completely. 

 "My what a cozy little scene this is," Rita said, as she stepped out into the hallway. She had changed into a hideous silver dress that had green lace along the cuffs and neckline. A large green satin bow was perched atop her head, making her look like an enourmous toddler. "I suppose you two couldn't make the long walk to the Great Hall without stopping to snog at least once. Thought you'd get farther along though." 

 Lauralie rolled her eyes and disconnected herself from Severus. She turned without another word and continued to walk towards the Great Hall. 

 Severus reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. 

 "Rita, if you don't leave Lauralie and I alone for the remainder of this holliday I will be sure to inform Ludo that you've stolen some of his knickers and keep them stashed under your mattress," he said, dropping his hand back to his side. 

 Rita's jaw dropped and she began to stammer, but Severus didn't feel like indulging her. He turned and walked away after Lauralie, who had already disappeared up the stone stairs that lead into the Entrance Hall.

The House tables had vanished as they had on Lauralie's first Christmas at Hogwarts. In stead, there was a large circular table. The centerpiece was a Christmas Tree made of pine cones, holly, and golden wreaths. The walls were trimmed with huge wreaths and enormous red and green bows. A shimmery snow fell constantly from the ceiling, but none of it ever seemed to hit the table or the floor.

Lauralie placed the Diary in the center of her chair before she sat down. By the time she had finished unfolding her napkin, Severus had taken the seat next to her. He gazed up at the star that topped the centerpiece. The star was most impressively complicated and made entirely of ice.

"Happy Christmas to you all," Dumbledore said from somewhere on the other side of the tree.

Lauralie leaned so she could peek around the large decoration and see the headmaster. He was wearing red fur-trimmed robes that made him look rather like a thin version of Santa Claus. 

"Happy Christmas," she called.

"Is that you Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked. "I must say, as lovely as this centerpiece is it rather hinders conversation. Perhaps if it was a little smaller."

Lauralie and Severus could not see what the Headmaster did, but in a matter of moments the enourmous tree shrank down till it was small enough to be seen over.

"Ah, there you go," he said, with a smile. "I must ask, Miss Black. Did you receive anymore stunning presents that I should expect to surface on the first day of term?"

Lauralie laughed. "No, Sir. No such luck this year." She thought back to the year before and the Cloak. She had come no closer in a year to discovering the identity of who sent it. Other than the suspicions she had that it was her biological father.

She was lost in thought when the food appeared. Severus nudged her gently. She looked up at him and he smiled. "Eat," he said. "Worry about the diary later."

This proved to be far harder than she expected, as she doled food onto her plate her mind kept wandering to the diary she was still sitting on. Would it help her sort out what had been happening to her?

She had been ignoring the dreams lately. And had been confining herself to her quarters instead of wandering the grounds at night. But nothing she did made the dreams fade. They haunted her as much during the day as they did at night.

She proceeded through the meal fairly silently. She was looking forward to returning to the common room and perhaps playing a game of chess with Severus. Or maybe working on a new potion out of Advanced Potions for the Adventurous Soul.

She was so relieved to be leaving the table that she was already out of her chair before Severus could finish saying he was ready to go.

"Miss Black, may I have a word with you before you return to your common room?" Dumbledore asked, having also risen from his seat.

"Um… sure, Professor," she said. Behind her back, she pressed the Diary into Severus' hand.

Rita had to hold back a grin as she watched this exchange. But she waited until Lauralie had left with Dumbledore before following after Severus.

*   *   *

Albus Dumbledore didn't speak again until they had reached his office. Lauralie sat in one of the chairs across from his desk and began watching Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, preen himself.

"Lauralie, I could not help but notice the drastic change in your attitude recently," he said.

Lauralie gritted her teeth. "I'm afraid I am not sure what you mean, Sir."

He peered over his half-moon spectacles at her. "I am not the only one to comment on it, other teachers have noticed as well." 

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I have just had a lot on my mind recently," she said.

"I'm sure, and I just wanted to ask if there was anything at all you wanted to discuss with me?"

Millions of questions exploded in her head. Was she really supposed to be a Slytherin? Was the man she'd grown up calling "Daddy" really her father? Could she possibly be the youngest descendent of Salazar Slytherin? And could that explain the nightmares she had been having? Or the visions?

And though she was sure that Dumbledore could answer some of her questions, she still found herself shaking her head.

"No, Professor. Nothing comes to mind."

*   *   *

Severus sank into the green dragon hide arm chair next to the fire and stared down at the Diary in his hand. He gazed around the vacant common room. His curiosity was getting the best of him. "A small peek couldn't hurt."

He flipped open the diary to a random page in the middle. The handwriting looked oddly familiar to Severus, but he could not pinpoint from where.

_"The dreams have increased in frequency and severity. I have been losing far too much sleep as a result. So much so that I've found myself slipping into dreams during the waking hours."_

"I'm quite sure she hadn't expected you to read that." He had been so engrossed that he had not heard Rita come into the common room.

Severus leapt to his feet, the diary still open in his left hand.

"What is that anyway?" She stepped closer to him. "Darling Lauralie's diary?"

Severus took a step backwards, backing into the armchair.

"It _is_, isn't it?" Her eyes lit up with absolute glee, and for a moment Severus feared she might jump him and take it. "Let me see."

She reached forward and grabbed the edge of the diary.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Severus could only begin to imagine how the scene must have looked to Lauralie. He and Rita were standing close together by the fire, the diary open in both of their hands.

Severus jumped back, jerking the diary out of Rita's grip.

"Oh, nothing," Rita said. "I was just asking Severus what he was reading. Because I saw you reading the same thing earlier and I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be reading it."

Lauralie's eyes flashed between Severus and Rita. She looked cool and collected, but inside a fire had been kindled. She was working quite hard not to slap Severus and kick Rita in the shins.

She walked swiftly across the common room, and extended her hand. "I'll take that, thank you."

Severus handed the Diary to her, his mind racing.

"Lauralie…"

She snatched the diary out of his grip and turned her back to him. She made her way down the corridor to her dormitory.

Severus moved to follow her, but Rita seized his arm. "You aren't allowed down there."

Severus shoved her off of him, a bit harder than he had anticipated. She had to grab the back of a chair to steady herself. He shot her a deadly glare as he stormed after Lauralie.

Lauralie ignored the urgent knocks on her door. She flung on her cloak, and tossed parchment and quills into her bag with the Diary. She flung the bag on her shoulder and was almost back to the door when she spotted the picture she had taken of herself earlier that day. She picked it up off her bedside table. _Remus…_

She slid it into her bag as well. She opened her door and came face to face with Severus. He looked almost desperate.

"Lauralie, that wasn't what it looked like," he said.

She slipped past him with out a word.

"Come on, Lauralie," he pleaded. "Talk to me."

She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. "What would you like me to say, Severus?"

"That you aren't angry at me," he said, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Were you reading it?" She stepped back, breaking the contact between them.

He dropped his arm to his side. "Yes, but I wasn't sharing it with Rita. She walked in and…"

"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "I've decided that I will sort out the Diary on my own."

Severus recoiled. "Lauralie…"

"No. I mean it. I'm just going to the library for a bit. I'll be back."

Severus stood stunned for a moment and watched as Lauralie vanished down the corridor.

"I'm sorry!"

*   *   *

The owlery was a tall cylindrical tower covered on almost all sides with little windows. Absolutely none of these windows had panes in them, so it was consequently the coldest room in all of the castle, except, perhaps, some of the dungeons. 

Lauralie was careful not to slip in any droppings as she mad her way into the room. She pulled the photograph out of her bag, running her finger over the word "Forgiven" that she had scribbled on the back of it.

In a swift moment of decisiveness, she pulled out her quill and added a note right below that. 

_"Remus_,

_If I asked for your help with something, could you keep it a complete secret? From everyone? Can I trust you with this?_

_-Lauralie"_

She whistled and Salazar flew down from one of the higher rafters. It wasn't until he had flown out of sight that Lauralie let out the breath she had been holding.

*   *   *

Lauralie and Severus were enveloped in their nightly game of chess. She had returned to the common room without any mention of the fight they had or the Diary that was stashed safely in her bag. Instead she had flopped down in the chair across from him and uttered one word: chess.

Lauralie bit the nail on her index finger gently as she pondered her next move. She began to direct her piece but Severus interrupted her.

"Mind your Queen," he whispered.

"Thanks."

"Do you remember how different our games were a year ago?" he asked. "You've come a long way."

"I had an excellent teacher."

They fell into silence for a moment. Severus reached across the board and placed his hand on hers. "I'm sorry."

"I know, don't worry about it."

"But you are still annoyed," he said.

Lauralie was finding herself heavily distracted by having his hand on hers. "Yes, because you should not have been reading it without me."

"Lauralie…"

"It doesn't matter, I can sort through the Diary just fine on my own. You were right, I shouldn't be letting everyone read it."

"I didn't mean me!"

"Can you not see what you did?" she asked, pulling her hand away. "You've violated my trust and until you can earn it back fully I would just as soon not discuss the contents of that Diary."

Before Severus could respond to this a distraction came in the form of Salazar returning with Remus' reply. Lauralie removed the letter from Salazar's leg, and gave him a friendly stroke. The owl nipped her finger gently before flying off to the owlery.

_"Lauralie,_

_Whatever it is you need help with, I'll be glad to keep your secret. I'll be back at Hogwarts in a few days, I will come find you and we can discuss things then._

_I've really missed you_.

_-Remus"_

"What is that?" Severus asked.

Lauralie rolled the parchment back up. "A letter from Remus."

Severus felt a lurch of jealousy and hatred. "I thought you weren't speaking to Lupin."

"Well, things changed. He sent me a present and I felt it was time to set our differences aside."

Severus looked highly affronted, but if Lauralie noticed she made no comment. They finished the remainder of their game in complete silence.

--------------------

Author's Notes: I know this took forever. This chapter actually isn't even edited, I'm putting it up at the same time I'm sending it to my Beta reader. Consider it a Christmas Present. I'm currently working on the next chapter of Chronicles. Love you all.


	13. Rifts and Repairs

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)  
by Lauren Snape**

**Chapter 13: Rifts and Repairs**

_Author's Note: I sent this to my editor a week or so ago and I haven't heard back from her. I decided to post it anyway because I've kept you all waiting long enough I believe._

* * *

A heavy snow fell from the sky on the evening that all the students returned from Winter Holidays. Lucius and Narcissa had white flakes clinging to their hair when they strolled into the Slytherin common room. 

They found Lauralie and Severus in much the same spot they were in the last time we saw them, sitting near the fire playing a game of chess. Neither of them showed any notice when Lucius and Narcissa took their normal seats in the armchairs on either side of the fire, looking down on the game. 

The game proceeded for one more turn before Lauralie spoke. 

"How was your Holiday?" she asked, grinning slightly as she looked up at her friends. 

Narcissa promptly launched into a detailed account of her vacation to Russia where she visited with her Aunt, Uncle, and three cousins. 

"But all three of my cousins go to Durmstrang and they were telling me about their house system and its just colors. Black is like Slytherin. Well, they are all like Slytherin really. It sounds like it's a whole school full of Slytherins just sub-divided into houses." 

"A school who has the right idea about things," Lucius said. 

"One must wonder what school the Muggle borns go to," Lauralie said. 

"Oh, there are mudbloods at Durmstrang," Narcissa said. "They just don't talk about it." 

The common room was slowly filling around them. Students were talking loudly about the gifts they'd received and the events they'd attended over the break. 

Ludo Bagman appeared behind Lucius' chair. 

"Have a good Holiday?" he asked, thumping Lucius on the back. 

There was a general mumble of "yes". 

"Good," he proclaimed. "Quidditch Practice this Saturday at three. Don't be late." He clapped Lucius on the back before turning and leaving. 

"Oh yes," Severus said, sitting up. "We must prepare or our challenging match against Hufflepuff." 

It was the first time he had spoken since the others had arrived. He directed his rook as he adjusted his position on the hearth. 

Narcissa looked from him to Lauralie. 

"Did we miss anything while we were gone?" 

"Not really," Lauralie answered. "A whole lot of the same, just less people." 

"Did you get anything cool for Christmas?" Lucius asked. 

"Nope," she answered. 

"So no new gifts from…" 

"No, nothing like that," Severus interjected. 

Narcissa looked mildly disappointed, but seemed convinced by Severus' response. 

"Well, that isn't all that entertaining, so I'm going to go to bed," she said. "Coming, Lauralie?" 

Lauralie looked down and watched Severus re-setting the chess pieces, his long black hair falling over his face as he gazed down at the board. 

"After this game," she answered. She wasn't sure, but she could almost make out a smile behind Severus' curtain of hair. 

"Suit yourself," Narcissa said. "Night boys." 

Lucius stayed and watched the first half of the chess game, occasionally throwing out pieces of casual conversation. Once he finally got tired, he excused himself, mumbling something like "couldn't rest on the bloody train" before departing for bed. 

Lauralie shifted so she was sitting cross-legged in front of the board and watched Severus. He was staring at the board, contemplating his next move. His cool black eyes darted from one piece to another. 

"Thank you," she said. 

He looked up, brushing his hair out of his face. 

"I would like to think that you would cover for me if I was in a similar position," he said. 

"I would." 

He nodded. It wasn't really an apology, but it was a declaration that no matter what had happened over the Holiday, they were still on the same side. 

The first meal of any term tended to be loud and eventful, and breakfast the next morning was no exception. The conversation at the Gryffindor table alone had already reached a dull roar, and they had only just sat down. 

Sirius was the loudest. He was thumping the table and making loud speculations as to whether or not they might catch Slytherin up in points for the Quidditch cup. Because if they at least tied Slytherin, then it would merit a rematch. 

James was sitting next to him, nodding enthusiastically at the right moments. His hair was a disaster area, sticking up in every direction. His robes were draped over the back of his chair and his Gryffindor tie hung, un-fastened, around his neck. 

The McConaugha twins and Bridget Corrigan listened to the banter. No one was paying much attention to the end of the table where Remus, Lily, and Magdalene were sitting. Remus glanced over his shoulder at the Slytherin table and when he turned back Lily was watching him. 

She had changed slowly since they had met. She was once a shy shell of what she had now become. Her wavy, shoulder length red hair fell around her pale, freckle dusted, face. And when she smiled, her green eyes sparkled. 

"So, how was your Holiday?" Lily asked, smiling at Remus as she sipped her orange juice. 

"Quiet," he answered, buttering a piece of toast and ripping off a chunk with his teeth. 

"Peaceful quiet or boring quiet?" she asked. She ran her finger along her hairline, tucking the loose strands behind her left ear. She was wearing dangling snowflake earrings. 

Remus chewed for a moment before swallowing with a gulp. "A mixture of both. Never much to do at home compared to here." 

She lowered her voice so that only he and Magdalene could hear the next question. "Did you buy Lauralie a present like you had planned?" 

"Actually, I did," he answered. "I bought her one of those new InstaMagic cameras. You know, the one where you take the picture and you can watch it develop automatically. Seemed really cool." 

"Wow, that is kinda cool," she said. "Have you talked to her since?" 

"She sent me an owl after she got it, but I haven't talked to her yet. Actually, that reminds me." He stood, shouldering his bag. "I'll catch up with you guys in History of Magic." 

Magdalene watched him walk away in the direction of the Slytherin table. 

"He's got more guts than I do," she said. 

"I must agree, if ever I had the need to talk to Lauralie, I'd try to corner her when she wasn't surrounded by the rest of the Slytherins," Lily said. 

Magdalene nodded, turning to look down the table at Sirius. He didn't look up but after a moment Mags realized that Lily and herself weren't the only ones who noticed Remus walking towards the Snake den, Lindsay McConaugha was watching him as well. 

Despite the near apology from the night before, Severus was still being unusually quiet during breakfast. In fact, he didn't say anything until just after the mail arrived, when he looked over Lauralie's shoulder and snarled: "What do you want?" 

Lauralie turned to see that Remus was standing there, and he fixed Severus with a cool look. He seemed completely un-phased by the hostility that was seething off of the Slytherins around her. 

In the moments before he finally spoke, Lauralie took Remus in. She had not really looked at him since their encounter at the top of the Astronomy Tower. His hair had grown out; the straw colored waves were now long enough to be tucked behind his ears if necessary. His eyes that had seemed so dark that night were now a very pale gray. 

He grinned slightly as their eyes met. 

"Lauralie, could I trouble you for a few minutes before morning classes start?" he asked. 

He didn't look at Severus or Lucius, which was probably a good thing because they were both looking at him as if they were going to give him a quick beating. 

"Um, okay." She stood, carefully catching Severus' eye before she spoke again. "I'll see you all _later_." 

A few heads turned as the miss-matched pair strolled down the isle between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables, but they both ignored it. Lauralie walked with her head held high, ignoring her surroundings. Neither of them spoke until the doors to the Great Hall closed behind them. 

"Okay, so what's going on?" Remus asked. 

"Not here," she hissed. She seized his arm and pulled him up the marble staircase. 

It was a complete reversal of how she had been acting before. Suddenly the confidence she had exuded at breakfast was no longer there. He was getting a glimpse of how she really was: tired and scared. The hand that still grasped his arm was paler than he would have expected. 

But the true picture wouldn't be entirely clear for him until she turned around and faced him. 

She had led him down a fairly unused corridor off the fourth floor. 

"Sorry, but there are ears all over this castle," she said. 

Lauralie looked a wreck. There were bags under her eyes. And something seemed to be haunting those eyes he loved so much. She looked so exhausted. 

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Have you not been sleeping?" 

"There is a lot to tell, it could take a while," she said. 

He reached forward and before she could react his hand was on her cheek. He ran his thumb gently across her skin there. 

"Calm down," he said. "Skip dinner and meet me in the library. I'll grab some food from the kitchens and we should end up having the whole place to ourselves." 

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "That's perfect." 

"Okay, I'll see you then," he said, turning and walking down the corridor and back to the main fourth floor hall. 

Lauralie waited until he had been out of sight for a few moments before following. She turned at the end of the corridor to head in the direction of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She hardly made it a step before running headlong into Magdalene. 

Lauralie's bag split and Magdalene lost control of the supplies she had been carrying, resulting in books, quills, ink and parchment flying everywhere. 

Magdalene didn't even look up to see whom she had collided with. She let out an exasperated moan and sank to her knees to clean up the mess. 

"And my day just keeps getting better," she mumbled. 

"I'm sorry," Lauralie said, kneeling to help in the clean up. "_Reparo_!" The split seam in her bag fixed itself and she began piling her stuff back into it. 

Magdalene's head popped up, causing her hair full of curls to bounce. "Oh, don't worry about it, Lauralie. I'm just having one of those weeks," she said. "My Holiday wasn't all that grand, and my father almost made me miss the train yesterday. Sirius is being really weird, even though he sent me a Christmas present. Then I forgot my History of Magic book in the dorm and on my way back to get it _this_ happens. And I'm sure that was way more than you ever wanted to know, wasn't it?" 

Lauralie paused, staring into her bag for a moment. "My brother got you a Christmas present?" 

"Yeah!" She reached a hand into her sweater and pulled out a pendant. It was a teardrop shaped black stone, set in silver. "It's a mood stone. Kind of like the Muggle mood rings, except it reads your actual mood instead of just your body temperature." 

Lauralie considered asking what mood black would represent, but she was pretty sure she knew already. 

"And define weird. I mean, Sirius isn't the most well-balanced person," she said, grinning. 

"He's just so hard to read. We spent a great day in Diagon Alley together over break. He sends me a piece of jewelry for Christmas, but when we got on the train he hardly said two words to me. He spent the whole time talking Quidditch with James and Bridget Corrigan." 

"She'll take any opportunity, won't she?" 

Magdalene grumbled. "Yes. And she kept batting her eyes at him or touching his arm when she talked to him. But he kept talking to her." 

"Maybe he was just in Quidditch mode. Maybe he thought if he humored her for a while she'd chill out. Maybe he's a boy and boys are stupid. Want me to throw a rock at him?" 

Magdalene laughed and reached for the last book that was left on the floor: Salvatore Slytherin's diary. 

Lauralie's gut instinct was to snatch the diary out of the Gryffindor girl's hand, but she restrained herself. And when she held out her hand, Magdalene handed the small book back with out any argument. 

Magdalene rose to her feet, straightening her pile of books and said: "So, you and Remus are on speaking terms again?" 

"Yeah, I figured that it was about time to leave well enough alone. Water under the bridge, and all of that." 

Magdalene nodded thoughtfully, causing her curls to bounce again. "I'm sure he's relieved." She paused. "I know I am." 

Lauralie let out a sharp laugh. "I'm sure there are others who will be relieved." 

"Well, we were all worried about him. He's been acting weird for a while," Magdalene said. "He hardly talks sometimes. He always seems so tired. Then he'll vanish for a couple of days with some weird excuse. I think Sirius, James, and Peter know where he goes, but they always back up whatever story he's already told us." 

There was a moment of awkward silence during which she started to think that perhaps she had just said too much. 

"And then he returns looking almost sickly," Lauralie finished the thought for her. 

Magdalene just looked at Lauralie for a while, her brown eyes unreadable. "You know, for a Slytherin you certainly are very observant of the comings and goings of us Gryffindors," she said. 

Lauralie couldn't really think of a response to this, but before she even had time to try the warning bell sounded through the hallway. 

"Thanks for listening. I guess I'll see you around," Magdalene said. 

"Yeah, around," Lauralie replied, watching the older girl walk away. 

"You are late, Miss Black," Professor Lestrange called as Lauralie slipped into the Potions lab. 

"Sorry, Professor," she said, taking her usual seat at a cauldron near the back with Narcissa. 

Eyes flickered in her direction from all around the room. Everyone had seen, or heard from someone who saw, her leave breakfast with Remus. Lindsay McConaugha was trying to peer discretely over the cauldron she shared with her twin brother, Duncan. For a moment, Lauralie thought the Gryffindor was trying to catch her eye, but when she looked over Lindsay's eyes darted in another direction. 

Professor Lestrange waved her wand and the directions for brewing Shrinking Solution appeared on the board. 

"Begin." 

The classroom slowly whirred into motion and Lauralie began chopping dandelion roots. 

"What is going on with you?" Narcissa whispered. 

"What do you mean?" Lauralie's face had shifted to a perfectly puzzled look as she scraped the bits of root off of her cutting board and into the cauldron. 

"You know what I mean," Narcissa hissed, tossing her white-blond hair in annoyance. "You and Severus are fighting about something. He's not talking about it, but Lucius and I can both tell that something is wrong." 

"It is between Severus and myself," Lauralie answered, stirring the cauldron. 

"That's the same thing he said. Why the big secret?" 

"You simply do not need to get involved," Lauralie said, a hint of warning in her voice. There was an uncomfortable pause before Narcissa forged on. 

"And what about Lupin? I thought you weren't talking to him anymore." 

Lauralie set down the spoon she had been stirring the cauldron with and moved on to measuring out the witch hazel. "Remus and I have decided to set our differences aside." 

"So, let me get this straight, you are on the outs with your best friend but instead of trying to fix things you are making them worse by befriending one of the core members of the Gryffindor Golden Gang?" 

"This has nothing to do with Remus. And if Severus' isn't telling I will do him the favor of not speaking of it. It doesn't concern you." 

They brewed their potion in silence for a few minutes. 

"He really messed up this time, didn't he?" Narcissa asked. 

Lauralie didn't answer, but Narcissa was already sure that it was true. 

The other tables had fallen oddly quiet. Lauralie had not realized how loud they had been talking before. Both the McConaugha twins were watching her now, but she ignored them and continued with her work. 

Duncan leaned over to his sister and whispered: "looks like there is trouble in paradise." 

"It's absolutely perfect," James declared. 

Sirius tossed a tuft of brown hair from in front of his face and looked skeptically from Lindsay to James. He wagged his finger at her. 

"You mean to tell me that Snake has actually managed to do something that pissed off Lauralie?" he asked. 

"So it seems," she answered. 

"Do you buy this, Remus?" 

Remus was sitting at a table with Magdalene, working on their Potions homework. He let out a sigh and dropped his quill in the crack of his book. He had hoped to avoid involvement in the scheming and plotting that was to be launched in the Gryffindor common room. 

"It would explain some things," he answered. 

"Like what?" Sirius asked. 

"Have you taken a good look at your sister today? She looks very tired, and very stressed." 

Sirius looked almost stricken. "Really?" 

James waved his hand as if dismissing the relevancy. "That's not the point. The point is that this is the perfect time," he said. "We've been waiting for an opportune moment to pull a good prank on the Slytherins. And with the inner-circle set to split, we've got to do it now." 

"Do you really think that Snake's group is the Slytherin inner-circle?" Bridget asked. "It used to be Bagman and his crew." 

"True, in our first year Bagman was king, but it has shifted. Bagman is still known, he's the Quidditch Captain after all, but who do all the Slytherins watch constantly, even the older kids?" James paused dramatically. "Lauralie! Ever since she strolled into the Great Hall in that cloak she has been in the Slytherin spotlight. And because of that she's dragged her little group into popularity." 

There was a silence in which everyone stared at James. 

"You've put a lot of thought into this," Sirius said, crossing his arms. 

"I did, because it has to come off perfectly. One prank. We don't get caught and we do serious damage to the collective Slytherin ego by proving that they aren't as untouchable as they all think they are." 

"Yeah, but what do we do?" Bridget asked. 

"I don't know, we'll brainstorm," James said. "Everyone think of an idea and then we'll pick the best one." 

Remus sank back down into his chair. He stared at the book he had been reading, but didn't pick it up. Magdalene was scribbling in what Remus could only assume was her journal. He had seen her writing in it a couple of times previous to this. 

"They are playing with fire here," he told her, fishing his quill out from between the pages of his book. 

"Oh, I know," she replied, she snapped the journal closed and turned to him. "And you know that. But, I also know, that if they come up with something and need your help that you will help them." 

"That depends on the circumstances," he said. 

"You mean it depends on how much a prank on the Slytherins could hurt your new alliance with Lauralie." 

Remus looked up from his book and met eyes with her. She had a smug grin on her face. She was right, of course. He had been on bad terms with Lauralie long enough and wasn't in any kind of hurry to go back to the way things had been before break. 

"Mags, do me a favor," he said. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Get out of my head." 

She laughed. 

"Are you guys ready for dinner?" Lily asked. She and Audrina had just arrived at the foot of the stairs down from the girls' dormitory. 

There was a shuffle as people started to pack up their things. Magdalene stood, glancing only once at Remus, who had not started to move, before rising from her chair. Sirius, James, Lindsay, and Bridget were still huddled together discussing prank possibilities. Peter was the first to notice that Remus wasn't making an attempt to join them. 

"Aren't you coming, Remus?" he asked, turning his watery eyes to him. 

"Actually, I'm not going to dinner," Remus answered. He slowly began to pack up his things. "I'm going to the library instead." 

There was a moment of silence. Even James and Lindsay had stopped plotting to digest this bit of information. 

"You're going to the library?" James asked. "But it's only the first day of a new term." 

Remus shrugged, starting to slip his supplies back into his bag. 

"Okay, well, yeah…" Lily began in an attempt to bridge the silence that had fallen among her friends. "Then, I guess, we'll catch up with you later." 

She turned and pushed the portrait of the fat lady open. She stepped out into the hallway and slowly the others followed. 

As they entered the Great Hall, Sirius' eyes were drawn automatically to the Slytherin table. After what Remus had said earlier and the information Lindsay had reported, Sirius was curious as to what might be going on. Severus, Lucius and Narcissa were all seated but Lauralie wasn't at the table at all. And they didn't seem to be expecting her, because they had not saved her a seat. 

Before he even had a chance to get angry or upset, Magdalene was at his side. 

"She probably just needs to talk, about whatever is going on, with someone outside of her house," she said. 

"He could have just told me he was meeting her," Sirius growled. "Why hide it?" 

"Perhaps because the last time Remus got too close to your sister you threw him into a bookcase?" She smiled, bumping her shoulder into his. 

"You know, you have quite the point there," he said, flashing her his winning smile. He looked down the table. Bridget had saved him a seat and was waving for him to join her, James and Lindsay. "Sit with me?" 

"Sure," she said, following him down the table. 

When Remus arrived at the library he found Lauralie sitting at a table all the way in the back. The tabletop was completely clear with the exception of a small leather-bound book that was set directly in front of her. 

Remus rounded the table, pulling the chair next to hers out and sitting. He fished through the paper bag he was carrying and pulled out a sandwich wrapped in wax paper. He extended it to her. 

"Thanks," she said. He set aside the bag after taking out a sandwich for himself. For a minute the only sound in the library was the crinkling of paper as they unwrapped their food. "Okay, before I tell you anything you have to promise me something." 

Remus was chewing his food, but he raised an eyebrow to indicate she should go on. 

"You have to promise that this won't get told to anyone. What we talk about has to stay here. You can't tell James, or Lily, or Mags. You especially can not tell my brother." 

He swallowed his food. "You have my word," he said. 

"Okay, well to be technical this all really started when I was sorted into Slytherin. A lot of people thought the hat had made a mistake, but I don't think it did. If it said I have Slytherin blood, then I do. But I never stopped to ponder how that could be, after the sorting. Things got very hectic, very fast. I fell into my group of friends, and thought very little of the Sorting Hat's words until Christmas rolled around and I received the Cloak of Destiny." 

"Who sent it to you? I've always wondered," he asked. 

"I still don't know for sure, the note gave no name. Though it did state that their identity had been hidden from me so far. Which was the second hint that Wesley Black, the man who has raises me so far, is not my real father," she explained. "The third came at the very end of last year, when I received another note. This one was only one sentence: you are the Heir of Slytherin." 

Remus couldn't seem to think of a response to this. 

"Things over the summer were quiet. Nothing more arrived from the anonymous person. Life progressed normally until the day after my birthday. That's when the dragons started to migrate and things started getting weird." 

She took a bite out of her sandwich. She chewed and swallowed before proceeding. 

"That's when I returned to school and the dreams started." 

"Dreams?" 

"Nightmares, really. About dragons, always about dragons. It got so bad that I was taking Dreamless Sleep potion every night, that is until Severus caught me and made me dump the lot of it down the drain," she said. 

"Why'd he do that?" 

"He was afraid I'd become dependant on it. Sev is determined that there is another way to fix it. So we did research. We hit a lot of dead ends, but we did find out that the Dragons of Yorkshire don't migrate. They've only done it once before now, back when the Hogwarts founders were still alive," she explained. "We know that Salvatore Slytherin did a study on the phenomenon, but we couldn't find any of his literature." 

"Salvatore Slytherin?" 

"One of Salazar Slytherin's sons. But we dead ended again and the dreams started to invade reality," she said. "I encountered a dragon on the edge of the forest. It tried to attack me and I fell, hit my head, and passed out. When I woke up, the dragon had vanished." 

"Now, when you say 'vanished' do you think it flew away?" Remus asked. He pulled two bottles of pumpkin juice out of the bag, he handed her one. 

"Thanks," she said. "And no, I mean the dragon was never there. It was some sort of waking dream." 

"Well, that could be a symptom of the insomnia," he said. 

"True, but all I knew for sure is that we had hit a massive road block," she said. "That is until this arrived at Christmas." 

She pushed the diary in front of him, and he flipped it open. 

"So one year you receive Salazar Slytherin's cloak, then the next his son's diary," he said. "So you really might be the great great great great great great great great great grand-daughter of Slytherin." 

"It seems so," she said. "But, what if there's a connection between this and the dreams. And the dragons." 

"Well, what does the diary say?" 

"Not much so far. His father is ill and his brother's a nutter," she said. "But I think there's something else here. You can almost feel the magic when you touch the diary. And sure it could just be a load of protective spells, but what if Salvatore Slytherin captured memories in this book as more than just words?" 

Remus flipped idly through the pages of the diary. He had read of penseives and how they were used to store and recall memories, but what if someone had modified that concept and disguised it as a book. 

"You know what," he said. "I reckon it is worth a try." 

"So, you'll help me?" 

"Of course I will, but I'm curious, why me?" 

"Because Severus' strong subject is Potions, not Charms. And we are kind of on the outs right now. It's… complicated. But I did know that whatever I find out in that Diary I may not want the rest of my house mates to know about." 

"Because if you found out damaging information about your house's founder, things could get messy," he said. 

"Exactly." 

Severus was setting up the chessboard when Lauralie returned from the library. The common room was still fairly full of students, but neither Lucius nor Narcissa were among them. 

She sank down on the opposite side of the board as Severus. 

"Where are Cissa and Lucius?" 

Severus looked up and made a sour face. "They spent maybe an hour trying to drag the reason we'd been fighting out of me before they gave up and went to bed." 

"I told Narcissa that if you weren't telling, neither was I," she said. 

"Thanks." 

"You would have done it for me." 

He smiled. "Yeah, I would."


	14. A Woman's Scorn

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

**Chapter 14: A Woman's Scorn**

The next day, the snow had increased to a near blizzard. So much so that all Herbology classes had been moved to an unused classroom in the Dungeons.

Not, of course, that it improved things a lot. Despite the fires that Professor Hornby had lit in the grate, the atmosphere was frigid at best.

Remus' breath clung to the air, a cloud of white haze, as he scribbled the proper ways to prune wand trees.

He was still relieved because he'd managed to skate by the guys with minimal questioning about his new standing with Lauralie. It had been a surprise really, he'd expected at least a side comment or a casual jab from Sirius.

He was sure the silence would not last forever. If he was going to help Lauralie with the mystery of the diary he was sure more than one head would turn in their direction.

Remus was pulled from his thoughts when a balled up piece of parchment soared over his shoulder and landed square in the middle of his desk. He un-crumpled it to discover that it was a note from James.

'Lindsay has come up with the perfect prank, are you in or are you too scared of angering your Slytherin Queen?

-James

PS- I'm joking of course.'

Remus chuckled before scrawling out his response.

'I won't lie and say that Her Majesty has nothing to do with my decision, but I'd like to add that it also seems like a nice idea to sit back and watch the fireworks with out having to worry about getting singed by the backfire.

-Remus

PS- When the good queen and her ruthless band of Slytherins retaliate I'll bring you snacks in the hospital wing.'

Then he wadded the note back up and tossed it over his shoulder to James, who had to stifle a laugh when he read it.

And that was the last he'd heard about it, at least directly. Which was fine with him, he had plenty to think about without keeping track of prank plans he wasn't involved in.

* * *

Lauralie had not gotten off quite so easily, Rita cornered her in the common room that afternoon.

"So, you and Lupin are speaking again?" she asked.

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes, we are," Lauralie answered.

"How sweet. When's the wedding?"

"Buzz _off_, Rita!"

Severus, who was sitting next to her during this, was the only person whom had not mentioned the situation yet. She supposed that was because he felt their friendship could not withstand another fight.

"What's wrong? Ashamed of your new boyfriend?" Rita asked.

Severus clenched his hand into a fist, digging his fingernails into his palm to keep himself silent.

"He's _not_ my boyfriend," Lauralie snapped. "Don't you have something better to do?"

But Rita wasn't even looking at Lauralie anymore. She was watching Severus with a pleased expression on her face. Her round, insect-like, eyes were glittering with malice.

"Actually, I do. But I just thought I'd tell you that I think you and Lupin make a cute couple. I've heard the talk that's been going around, but I honestly think you suit each other. The Golden Gryffindor and the Gryffindor in denial."

Lauralie heard Severus whisper something and then there was a flash of purple light. Rita squealed, covering her face with her hands. She cowered on the floor squealing, but between her fingers you could see that her skin was being consumed by boils.

Severus stood, his wand still in his hand. He watched Rita panic for a moment, his face calm and unreadable.

"Severus," Lauralie said.

He silently put his wand away and walked out of the common room with out so much as glancing at Lauralie. Rita had vanished also, no doubt to go tell on him.

Lauralie was left alone with her thoughts and an unsettling feeling that slowly but surely she was losing Severus.

* * *

Severus didn't show up for dinner that night, neither did Rita, so the table was filled with whispers of where he may be and how much trouble he could be in.

No one in Lauralie's little group commented on it until they were safely in their common room.

"You don't think they would expel him, do you?" Narcissa asked.

"No, but I'm sure he's going to get a serious punishment," Lucius said.

"I can't stand the suspense, where is he?" Lauralie asked.

As if on cue, the stone door scraped open and Severus walked in. His face was unreadable, but he looked directly at them and nodded towards the door before stepping back outside.

They followed him out into the corridor and into an abandoned class room.

"What happened?" Narcissa asked.

"The little snitch ran to McGonagall," he hissed. "I had to go to Dumbledore's office and he made me apologize to her."

"That's all you had to do? Apologize?" Lauralie asked.

"Well, no. I got punished as well," he said.

"So, how many weeks worth of detentions will you be serving?" Lucius asked. "You know that Ludo's going to flip if you have to miss any practices."

"Ludo's probably going to destroy me," Severus answered. "I didn't get detention, my punishment is that I have to sit out the Quidditch game against Hufflepuff."

There was a stunned silence.

"You can't be serious," Lauralie finally spoke.

"I wish I was joking."

"Can they do that?" Narcissa asked.

"Well, they just did."

"We're going to lose with out you."

"And do you know what that means?" he asked, he had a slight grin on his face.

Lauralie's mouth dropped open. "If we lose against Hufflepuff we'll have to play Gryffindor again to with the cup."

Severus nodded.

"You're right, Ludo _is_ going to kill you."

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO PLAY IN THE HUFFLEPUFF MATCH?"

Ludo's face was very red and the vein in his forehead was throbbing uncomfortably.

"Who are we going to get to replace you? The game is next weekend, I can't train a new Keeper in a week and three days," he babbled. He was pacing in front of the common room fire, the entire Quidditch team was sitting in chair around him.

"There's no way to overturn this?" Bulstrode asked.

"Doubtful," Severus said.

The odd thing was that no one other than Ludo appeared angry at Severus. In fact, they almost seemed impressed.

"Well folks, I hope you weren't planning on having a social life this week," Ludo said. "I'm going to set up an impromptu try out for after dinner tomorrow and after we pick a temporary keeper we'll have to practice every day between now and the game."

There was a collective groan.

"And we should probably keep this quiet," Ludo added.

"Please!" Lauralie laughed. "Rita will have this all over school by sun up."

* * *

She was wrong, it wasn't quite all over school, but by lunchtime the news had reached the ears of the Gryffindor Golden Gang.

"You will never believe what I just heard," Bridget said, plopping down next to Sirius at the Gryffindor table.

"Um, Dumbledore belching Twist and Shout in the shower?" he asked.

"No. Ew," she said with an exaggerated shudder.

"McGonagall and Lestrange talking about their sex lives in the ladies' room?" James piped up.

"NO! It's the Slytherin 'in crowd' as you like to call it," she said.

That not only got the attention of James and Sirius but everyone else within earshot.

"Don't just wind us up, tell us," Duncan proclaimed.

"Fine. Apparently, Snape lost his temper with Rita Skeeter and cursed her," she said.

There was a round of laughter.

"I'm sure she deserved it," Peter said.

"It gets better," she said, pausing to look around at all the eager faces listening. "As punishment, Snake has to sit out at the Slytherin versus Hufflepuff game."

There was a surprised silence following this.

James was smiling broadly.

"Looks like w really might have another chance at the Quidditch cup," he said. "And, looks like I was also right about this being the perfect time for our prank."

Remus, who'd been listening on the outskirts, laughed to himself. James would use any line of logic necessary to make the Slytherins look like fools.

"Speaking of, we have to find a way to get…"

"They are going to end up injured," Lily said. "If Snape cursed his own house mate, what do you think he'll do to them after this prank?"

"Depends on how bad the stunt is," Remus said.

"I think we should try to talk them out of it," she said.

Magdalene looked skeptical. "How do you plan on doing that?" she asked.

"I'll appeal to their common sense. They must have some of that, right?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Remus said.

* * *

When Remus arrived in the library during dinner, he found Lauralie's bag sitting on the back table but no Lauralie. So he sat down his bag and headed into the bookshelves.

He wandered down three different rows before he found her. She was standing on her toes attempting to reach a book on the top shelf.

Remus didn't say anything, he simply reached up and grabbed Do You Remember? by Raymond DelArrante.

"Thanks," she said, adding it to the pile in her arms. "How was your day?" She walked back towards the table and he followed.

"Boring," he said.

"Mine, too," she said. "Well, I figure these general books about Memories, and Pensieves, and book spells would be a good place to start. Hopefully it will give us an idea of a new direction to branch off in."

Remus nodded. He had another back of sandwiches that he opened and divided up for them.

They read in silence for a while, and ate their food. Lauralie was enthralled in The Science of Pensieves when she realized what time it was.

"Unfortunately, I have to go soon," she said. "I have this Quidditch… thing."

"I heard what happened with Snape and Rita," he said.

Lauralie's shoulder sagged. "Yeah, that little bint was verbally baiting him, and he just snapped."

"Is Dumbledore really making him stay out of the next match?"

She nodded. "We have to train a sub in a week."

She stood, flinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I think I'm going to stay here, and continue research," he said. "That is if you don't mind me working on my own for a while."

"You are great," she said. "I'll take a couple with me, and we'll pow wow about what we find later."

"I had an idea about this whole 'meet during dinner' plan," he said. "Why don't we just set days and meet up at the tower at night?"

"You're worried your house mates will start asking questions."

"Exactly, and when I don't give them answers they'll try to find them on their own."

She nodded. "See you up there Friday night, then."

* * *

There was already a small crowd of people milling around the snowy Quidditch stands when Lauralie arrived on the pitch, her broom in hand. Among them, much to her annoyance, were Evan Rosier and Richard Wilkes. She always had an uneasy feeling around them ever since the previous year when they'd known more about her Cloak than she had.

Lucius waved for her to join him and Narcissa, who had her books with her so she could work during the try outs. They looked so fitting next to one another. He sat straight up, almost regally, with his white blond hair slicked back. He was always well groomed, with freshly pressed clothes and polished shoes. Narcissa always looked beautiful next to him. Her long, blond hair braided down her back and tied with a silver ribbon, she looked nearly as high class as he did. She sat with her legs crossed beneath her pleated uniform skirt, one foot bouncing as she talked.

"Where've you been?" she asked.

"The library," Lauralie answered. "Where's Sev?"

"He may be in the locker room," Lucius suggested.

"I'm going to go check." She proper her broom up next to Lucius and turned to walk to the locker room.

He wasn't there. The locker room was completely empty. She let out a sigh as she looked at her reflection in the full length mirror that hung on the left wall. She was pleased to see that the concealer she had made was working perfectly. The bags that had become a regular feature under her eyes had vanished.. She smiled for the first time in a while.

She spun around to leave, only to find that Rosier and Wilkes were standing in the doorway.

Her smile was long gone.

* * *

Remus was engrossed in Do You Remember when Lindsay McConaugha walked into the library.

Lindsay was a pretty girl, with her wavy, shoulder length, dirty blond hair and sky blue eyes. She was more physically fit than most girls, a product of weeks upon weeks of practicing with her twin brother, a Beater on the Gryffindor team.

She didn't see him at first. She made it all the way to the book she was looking for. She flipped through the pages and located the information she was looking for. In fact, she was getting ready to leave when she saw him. He had turned a page at the right moment to draw her attention.

She paused, having an inner debate about whether she should go talk to him or not.

* * *

Lauralie's manner had turned icy. She took in the two boys with calculating eyes.

"Evan," she said. "Richard."

"Hello, Miss Black," Rosier greeted. "How have you been?"

"Very well, and yourselves?"

Neither of them bothered to acknowledge this question. Lauralie had began to straighten up, pulling herself to her fullest height and glaring down on the younger boys with a hatred that would shake most normal people.

"We've noticed that there's something odd going on with you, Lauralie," Wilkes said. "Something a bit… off."

"You've been tired lately. Stressed," Rosier elaborated. "You've started to push away your friends, starting with Severus."

"Is there a point to this?" she snapped.

"Only to replace them with odd bits of filth, like Remus Lupin," Wilkes said.

"So there it is," Lauralie said. "Tell me boys, don't you have better things to concern yourselves with. I would think that my choice in friends would be the bottom of most peoples list."

"But it isn't at the bottom of ours," Rosier said. "You see, you're embarrassing the house of Slytherin."

"We wouldn't want people to start talking that you are disloyal," Wilkes said. "Although Rita's already started saying it."

"Rita is a know it all weasel," Lauralie interjected.

"This is true," Rosier agreed. "But, she has a point. How could anyone throw out Severus Snape, a loyal and true Slytherin, and replace him with Gryffindor slop like Lupin?"

That was the final straw, in Lauralie's opinion. Her cloak flared brightly for a moment as her anger rose.

"That's enough." She strode up to them and grabbed them both by the collar. "Listen to me closely now, you won't want to miss this. I do not care what grand service you think you are providing me or the Slytherin house by dispensing this unwanted commentary, but I suggest you keep your noses firmly _out_ of my business."

She released them.

"Unless, of course, you would like me to curse them off of your faces."

And on that note, she walked past them and back into the snow.

* * *

"Hi, Remus."

He looked up from his book and Lindsay smiled. She tucked her book under her arm.

"Hullo, Lindsay," he said. "How was dinner?"

"Boring, I suppose," she said. There was a moment where she fumbled for something to say, wondering why she'd decided to come over here. "What are you reading?"

She reached down and picked up a book from the pile next to him.

"Crawford's Encyclopedia of Book Enchantments," she read from the cover. "Interesting, what's this for?"

"A project," he answered. He knew that the only way to deflect suspicion was to be normal. And he knew exactly what he would normally do if he had a cool new project.

"Actually, it's really quite fascinating," he said. "I'm working on an advanced charms project related to pensieves and the storage of memories in full form."

"That is pretty cool," she said. Then, she decided to get to the point of why she'd really wanted to talk to him in the first place. "Can I ask you something?"

"I guess so."

"Why did you decide not to help with the prank? I always thought that you, Peter, James and Sirius were always in on it, together."

Remus paused. "I just didn't want to have to worry about Slytherin retribution. I received enough of Lauralie's scorn last term, I was looking forward to a term with out it."

She looked surprised.

"I didn't expect such an… honest answer."

"Perhaps you expected I had something to hide."

"I'm glad you don't," she said. "Well, I better get going."

Remus glanced at her book and then back to her face.

"Good luck with your potions work," he said.

She faltered only a moment, before turning and leaving.

* * *

Lauralie always got a bit adrenaline height when she was playing. The wind blowing through her hair. The world rushing away beneath her.

The exhilaration of trying to be the best.

Still, when Ludo shouted up to her that she could have a break, she took the opportunity gratefully.

The snow made for a soft landing. She loved the way it crunched under her feet as she walked towards Ludo and Severus.

Severus looked away from the players in the sky to look at her.

Am I losing him? Or, maybe, I'm pushing him away.

She leaned on his shoulder and the corners of his mouth curled up for a brief moment in what she had come to fondly call a Snape Smile.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"Well, this girl, Ivy Centaury is it? She's pretty good," Lauralie answered.

"No," Ludo said, finally drawn from the events transpiring in the sky. "We don't need another girl on the team, besides, Rosier is pretty good as well."

"I don't like Rosier," Severus said. "He's weak on blocking all three hoops, he favors the right two."

"Only a bit."

"So you are going to choose him over a girl that's better?" Lauralie asked indignantly, her head popping up off of Severus' shoulder.

"No, I'm going to pick the player whom I believe will perform better under pressure," he said. "I can't trust that Centaury won't fall apart when it comes down to the line."

Lauralie took a deep breath and turned to Severus.

"I'm going to go talk to 'Cissa."

That, Severus supposed as he watched her walk away, was the closest thing to an agreement Ludo was likely to get from her.

* * *

"So, how did try-outs go?" Remus asked Friday night when she arrived at the tower.

Lauralie grunted and sat down.

"That good, eh?"

"Did you find anything worthwhile?" she asked. "Because I didn't find anything. Mind you, I didn't have as much time as I'd expected to.

"I found a handful of interesting charms and enchantments to check for," he said. "It could take a while."

"Unfortunately, with Quidditch practice every night this week I'm going to be worn a bit ragged," she said. "So…"

"So you aren't going to have time to meet every night and run tests on the diary."

"Precisely."

There was a pause. Remus seemed on the verge of saying something, but he appeared to be reconsidering it.

"What?" Lauralie asked.

"I was just going to offer that I run the tests for you," he said. "While you are running around preparing for your game, then when your hell of a week is over you may at least have some sort of answer to the Diary mystery."

"You mean _give_ you the Diary?" she asked.

"I guess, yeah."

This had not been quite what Lauralie was bargaining for. The Diary had only left her presence once, and then it had ended up open in front of Rita Skeeter.

"Nothing bad will happen to it, right?"

"I promise you I will keep it safe."

She handed it to him and felt oddly relieved.

Remus could worry about it for one week, she had enough on her plate.

* * *

When Remus returned to the common room, the Diary safely tucked into his school bag, he found that the only students left were Sirius and Remus. And he had hardly made two steps towards them when he realized that they were arguing.

"And what if she gets caught?"

"She won't. You are worrying too much."

Lily crossed her arms. "Even Remus thinks this prank is a bad idea, don't you Remus?"

"Hey, leave me out of this," Remus said.

"Of course you do," she said. "Of course he does. Why else would he have chosen not to participate?"

Sirius laughed.

"Don't be silly, Lil," he said. He walked over to Remus, draping an arm over his shoulder. "Remus doesn't care about the prank itself. We _all_ know he's warming the bench on this one because he doesn't want to piss off my sister."

Remus shrugged. "He's right, really."

"And, who can blame him?" Sirius asked. "She only just started talking to him again, and she was being a bit of a wench last term."

Lily frowned.

"I'm supposed to sit back and let you do this?"

"Pretty much," he said. "Stop fretting about it, we all know what we're doing, or in Remus' case _not_ doing."

She furrowed her brow for a moment.

"I suppose I could always go tell your sister what you're planning."

"NO!" The boys cried in unison.

"Lily that would be horrendous," Remus said.

"You'd get him in trouble," Sirius said, jabbing a finger at Remus. "For doing nothing. Just let it go."

"Whatever. Don't listen to me." She threw her bag over her shoulder and stormed up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

"Women," Sirius said, with a sigh.

"Can't keep them happy majority of the time, I've discovered," Remus said.

"And nothing hurts more than a woman's scorn."

"Speaking of, how angry _is_ Lauralie going to be with you after this prank?"

Sirius grinned.

"Never mind, I don't want to know."

* * *

For Lauralie, the next week faded away in a haze of school work and stressful Quidditch practices. So by the time she trudged into the common room after their final practice Friday night, she was pretty much beat.

Severus was waiting by the fire, their chess game for the evening already set up.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

She made a face and sat down in front of the board, her lengthy hair was windswept, toppling messily down her back like a golden waterfall.

"Are we in that much trouble?"

"I just want to survive tomorrow with my dignity in tact."

* * *

The week had been a busy one for Remus as well, ducking his friends to work with the Diary had proven trickier than he had expected, but he'd managed it. By dinnertime Saturday he'd done all the tests he had needed and was ready to report to Lauralie that evening.

He was arriving late for the meal, but as he stepped into the Entrance Hall he realized he was not the only one. Lindsay and Duncan McConaugha emerged from the passage the Hufflepuff's normally took.

Remus followed them in. They sat down near Bridget Corrigan and show a thumbs up to Sirius and James, who smiled.

Remus' heart sank as he sat down. "Did they just…"

"It's going to be a grand day," James said.

* * *

Lauralie was playing with her food, as she always did when she was nervous. She took a sip of her pumpkin juice, then speared a carrot and moved it to the other side of her plate.

"It will be fine," Narcissa said for like the tenth time. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"We lose the Quidditch Cup," Lauralie offered.

"Yeah, but you guys can beat Gryffindor again," she said. "You'll have Sev back next game."

"I'm just tired."

Severus was listening quietly, he drank his juice and made a slight face before taking another sip.

"Does this taste a bit weird to you?"

Lauralie took another sip. "Dunno."

Lucius drank his. "Maybe an over-ripened pumpkin made it in the batch?"

Before anyone could respond to this, a very odd thing happened.

Ludo Bagman stood up on the bench and cleared his throat loudly. Then, without warning or preamble, he began to sing.

"_I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts._

There they are all standing in a row," he sang.

"What's going on?" Lauralie asked.

Slowly, the students in the great hall started to turn and watch, until all eyes were on him as he sang.

"_Give them a twist, a flick of the wrist._

That's what the showman said!

Oh, I've got a lovely bunch…"

Lucius stood. He walked purposefully over to Ludo and jerked him down.

"You fool, what are you doing?" he asked, loudly. "That isn't the proper song for a gathering such as this!"

Then, much to the surprise of everyone watching, he stepped up onto the table itself, toppling over a couple students plates.

"The tune I'd like to sing for you is one my father taught to me," he said. And then, he sang:

"_Ooooo__ooooh._

The chimneys were dirty at Mrs. McFry's

And I'll grant they were worse down at Molly O'Clue's

But the chimney sweep said, with a gleam in his eye

'I've got a great tool her for cleaning the flues'

For I maybe a tiny chimney sweep

With a tiny grimy face

But I'm carrying a broom that makes strong girls weep,

Won't you let me up, up, up your fireplace?"

Giggles were spreading through out the great hall, and they were fueled even more when Narcissa stood and began to dance and spin to Lucius' song, shooting silver streamers from her wand.

"_A Chimney sweep's job can be boring and dirty,_

A chimney sweep ain't drawn the best lot in life

But who else could manage, without getting flirty,

To clean out the smokestack on the mayor's young wife?

For I maybe a tiny chimney sweep

With a tiny grimy face…"

Lauralie sniffed her goblet.

"Sev, there's something in this," she said. "What do you reckon…"

Suddenly her eyes shifted out of focus, and her face morphed into a broad smile.

"Lauralie?"

"The butterflies are so beautiful," she said. She was gazing up in awe, but there was nothing there.

Over at the Gryffindor table, Remus watched in silence as the Slytherins descended into chaos.

"The difference between a _good_ prank and a _great_ prank is timing," Sirius explained, laughing.

Lauralie was now darting around the Hufflepuff table, trying to catch butterflies only she could see. Katia and Anastasia were rallying people to catch the Heffalumps and Woozles they said were invading the school. Rosier and Wilkes were playing leapfrog between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables.

"What, exactly, did you do to cause this?"

"Two words: confusing concoction," James said.

"More specifically, confusing concoction slipped in precise amounts into every pitch of pumpkin juice at the Slytherin table," Sirius said.

Lauralie was climbing on the end of their table now. She made a jump for an imaginary butterfly. She tipped over a first years goblet and splattered food and drink everywhere.

Remus had half considered going to get her down when Bridget squealed: "Look at Snape!"

Severus was down on one knee in front of McGonagall. He was holding one of her hands and reciting a poem.

"_Come, madam, come, all rest my powers defy;_

Until I labour, I in labour lie.

The foe ofttimes, having the foe in sight,

Is tired with standing, though he never fight.

Off with that girdle, like heaven's zone glittering,

But a far fairer world encompassing.

Unpin that spangled breast-plate, which you wear,

That the eyes of busy fools may be stopped there.

Unlace yourself, for that harmonious chime

Tells me from you that now it is bed-time."

Minerva was looking horror struck, trying to gently pull her hand away.

Professor Lestrange came marching in with two large jugs of potion. In all of the mayhem, no one had even noticed her leaving in the first place.

She went straight for Severus. Perhaps to spare him, or perhaps even to spare Minerva. She nabbed Dumbledore's spoon and filled it with potion. She managed to pour it into Severus' open mouth just after he recited the line: "_Full nakedness! All Joys are due to thee!_"

He choked. He looked around for a moment before realizing what he was doing. Thrusting Minerva's hand away from him, he stumbled back looking disgusted.

Professor Lestrange was holding one of the jugs out to him and another spoon.

"Quickly, we have to help them," she said.

That's when he finally took in the insanity taking place around them. Slytherins playing tag. Slytherins dancing on tables. Slytherins hallucinating. There were Slytherins everywhere making complete and utter fools of themselves.

And, on the edge of all this, was Lauralie, teetering on the edge of the Gryffindor table snatching at the air.

He felt his stomach twist. He took the potion and spoon.

She fought him when he tried to pull her down. He had to pull her down by her waist, and still she squirmed in his arms.

"No, Arthur!" she yelled. "My butterflies are getting away."

He forced the spoon in her mouth and she sagged against him. He held her as she blinked back into awareness. She looked up at him, then around them.

"Antidote?" she asked, pointing to the bottle.

He nodded, so she reached for the nearest goblet.

In the process she came face to face with Remus, it was his goblet she'd picked up.

She swallowed hard. She'd probably been acting like a complete fool right in front of him. All of his friends were laughing.

She backed away, pouring potion into the goblet. She handed the bottle back to Severus before fleeing.

She dosed Meredith Binx, who was regaling a pack of Ravenclaws with her tale of Dragon slaying in which she managed to incapacitate the creature with her bra.

She dosed Ludo, who was now doing cartwheels in front of the head table.

She dosed Cassandra Templeton, who'd taken an unusual liking to hair. Lauralie had to pull her off of Severus, who's hair she had grabbed when he was passing by to dose another student.

She dosed Slytherin after Slytherin. And then sent them to dose more. Until all had regained their heads, with the exception of Lucius.

He was trotting around the hall, singing his song. He seemed determined to finish.

"_Since I was a lad, this man trained me to sweep_

A good man, a kind man, as you'll all agree

But I'm telling you now, my dear friends, please don't weep,

For his trade will be continued, girls -- he left his broom to me!"

He finished with a grand bow and then opened his mouth so that Narcissa could give him the antidote.

* * *

The Slytherin common room was filled with students all trying to complain at once.

"Those maggots!"

"Whoever did this better watch out!"

"Even Dumbledore was laughing at us…"

"We should force them to reschedule the Quidditch game."

Lauralie had sunk dejectedly into an arm chair.

"Everyone shut up," Lucius shouted.

The room went silent, Lucius already demanded respect in the wizarding world.

"The important thing now is not to panic," he said.

"What do we do, then?" someone asked.

"We hold our heads high. We go out to the Quidditch game. We show a little solidarity. Make them think they haven't gotten to us."

"And then we find our revenge," Severus added.

"How?" a first year girl asked.

"Leave them to us," Lauralie said. She stood and suddenly seemed more formidable than usual. Her cloak was glowing with unusual intensity.

"Lucius is right," she said. "Ignore them. No matter what they say or do, pretend they aren't there."

"And we'll handle the rest," Severus said.

* * *

It felt weird to Severus that he was walking into the stands instead of the locker room. This whole day had been wrong in his opinion.

"Hey, Snape, have you and McGonagall set a wedding date?"

"Ignore them," Narcissa hissed, jerking him down into the nearest seats.

"Nice moves, VanBuren. Do you want to be a ballerina when you grow up?"

Narcissa was digging through her bag as if she hadn't heard a thing.

"Pumpkin Pastie?" she asked.

"No, thanks."

Remus and Magdalene were climbing the stands right next to them. They said nothing, but Remus nodded to acknowledge them.

Unfortunately, Sirius, James, Bridget and the McConaugha twins followed close behind, and they still seemed to be laughing.

James stopped to quote Severus' poem, which turned out to be Elegy XX by Donne.

"_License my roving hands, and let them go. Before, behind, between, above, below._"

Severus made no response to this, he didn't even flinch and eventually the Gryffindors moved on.

"It was them," Severus said. "I'm sure of it, I just need confirmation."

"Shh, here come the teams."

* * *

Lauralie had never seen the team less pumped about a game. The prank seemed to have broken them all, even Ludo.

"Just… play," he said. "And… yeah."

Lucius had to take over. He straightened his Quidditch uniform.

"Let's kick their asses for laughing at us," he said. "And no matter what, don't listen to them."

"Good evening, ladies and germs, to cap off an interesting day, we have a very unusual game. Today's game will decide the Slytherin team's rout to the cup. If they win, they have one more game against Ravenclaw, but if they lose they'll have to play a second match against Gryffindor," Max Jordan said over the magical megaphone.

"Playing for Hufflepuff today we have Ashcroft, Hapshat, Worthington, Crawford, Sommers, Thomas, and Anderson."

The Hufflepuff team sped into the air to cheers.

"Playing for Slytherin today we have Bagman, Crabbe, Goyle, Bulstrode, Black, Malfoy, and, subbing for Severus Snape, Evan Rosier."

There was applause mixed with laughter.

"Here's the toss, and their off, Hufflepuff in possession."

The game progressed far quicker than Lauralie was prepared for. The Hufflepuffs were hitting them hard and fast.

"Slytherin down, 50 to 0."

Rosier had only blocked one shot, while Anderson, the Keeper for the other side, had guarded the hoops flawlessly.

Their only hope was that Lucius would catch the snitch before the Hufflepuff seeker did.

"Crawford to Sommers, Sommers shoots and it slides by Rosier. Hufflepuff leads 60 to 0."

Lauralie groaned as she caught the rebound, she tossed it up field to Parkinson who made a beautiful shot for the left hand goal.

"Blocked! Slytherin team is denied another point."

This was insulting. She couldn't let this stand. She blocked Worthington hard and snatched the ball from his fumbling hands.

"Black intercepts Worthington. She's got the Quaffle. She dodges a Bludger, a Beater and shoots. SCORE!"

There was scattered cheers through the crowd. Fueled by this, she managed to score three more times before Lucius spotted the snitch.

It was fluttering above Rosier's head. Both seekers were in the same spot on opposite sides of the pitch. There was no choice but to race for it.

And, just as Lucius took off, the stands were filled with the sound of students singing.

"_He may be a tiny chimney sweep_

With a tiny grimy face

But he's got a broom that makes strong girls weep,

Won't you let him up, up, up your fireplace?"

He didn't seem to react this at all, he didn't really have a chance, a Bludger surfaced out of nowhere and clipped his broom.

For a moment he went into a spin, but it was just long enough.

"Thomas gets the snitch! Hufflepuff defeats Slytherin 200 to 40!"

The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were storming the field, cheering and shouting.

Lauralie landed on the outskirts, next to Narcissa.

"Where's Severus?" she asked.

"I don't know," Narcissa answered. "He wandered away. Where's Lucius?"

"I don't know, you try to find him, I need to find Sev."

They split up. There were people everywhere, pushing her in every direction. People were starting to yell things that no longer sounded like cheers.

It seemed as if the Slytherins had had their fill.

She ran into Ludo. He was pulling Goyle out of a fight.

"Have you seen Severus?"

"No," he answered.

She pushed through more people and found Remus.

"There you are," he said. He pressed a folded up piece of paper into her hand. "You might want to get out of here, this could get ugly."

He walked off towards his friends and she continued her search.

She asked Lucius, and Rita. Evan Rosier and Wilkes.

He wasn't out there.

She forced her way to the edge of the crowd for air. She realized she was still clenching the parchment from Remus.

She opened it.

'I think I figured it out. Meet me tonight.

-R'

Great, she thought.

A seventh year Gryffindor and his friends stopped on their way out of the fray.

"What's wrong, Black? All your butterflies got away?"

All three boys took on a falsetto voice and squealed: "Noooooooo, my butterflies!"

She growled and turned on them, her wand out.

"Silencio."

Their laughter suddenly went silent.

"What was that, I couldn't hear you?"

They looked both surprised and scared as she advanced towards them, her wand out in front of her, her cloak glimmering in power. She began to mutter any curse she could think of. She'd reached her limit. She wanted them to suffer.

"_Densaugio! Engorgio!"_

And they only got worse.

* * *

And to end this chapter I have bad news. In light of how... infrequent my postings have been I've realized that I've fractured myself over too many projects. So none of them are getting done in any sort of timely manner. Therefore all projects OTHER than LB are hereby suspended for a while. I would like to update this more.

* * *

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF LAURALIE BLACK:

- Lauralie gets strange advice from a teacher

- Severus and Lucius concoct plans for revenge on the Gryffindors.

- Remus and Lauralie finally unlock the Diary, but what will they find once they get in?

- The Slytherin Quidditch team attempts to pull itself back together in time.


	15. The Diary of Salvatore Slytherin

**Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)**

**Chapter 15: **The Diary of Salvatore Slytherin

* * *

"Miss Black!"

It was Professor Lestrange. And here was Lauralie standing over three unconscious, curse-ridden Gryffindors with her wand in her hand.

Lauralie mouthed noiselessly for a moment. She felt, somehow, like she should be explaining herself, but everything that came to mind sounded feeble.

"Put that away," Lestrange hissed.

Lauralie complied without argument, slipping her wand back into the inside pocket of the Cloak of Destiny. She still had not come up with anything to say, so she stood, silently gazing at the older witch with wide green eyes.

Around them students were still arguing and yelling. Crabbe had a Gryffindor seventh year in a head lock. An older Slytherin boy that she didn't recognize had Duncan McConaugha by the collar of his shirt and seemed to be ready to pummel him into the snow.

"That is quite enough," a voice boomed over the pitch, echoing through the stands. Dumbledore had arrived. He gazed over the crowd of silent students, all of which were staring up at him. "Everyone is to return to their dormitories immediately. This behavior is unacceptable and I don't think I can impress upon you how disappointed I am in each and everyone of you."

"Lauralie, I need to speak with you in my office," Lestrange said. "I'll be three after I've cleared these three up." She gestured down at the jinxed Gryffindors.

Lucius and Narcissa had broken away from the crowd, coming to see why Lauralie hadn't turned to leave yet. She met them half way. Lucius' nose was bleeding slightly, but otherwise they both seemed unscathed.

"Did _you_ do that?" Narcissa asked her, looking back over her shoulder at Lestrange who had began the counter curses to fix up the three boys.

"I lost my temper," Lauralie said. "I don't suppose either of you found Severus in that mess, did you?"

They both shook their heads no.

Lauralie walked to the dungeons with them. They hardly spoke the rest of the way there. Few of the Slytherins did, but when Lauralie turned into Lestrange's office she heard a flurry of whispers from the students walking behind them.

_Great. _

Waiting for Lestrange to come back felt like it took forever. Lauralie sat, spinning a lock of her hair around her pointer finger. She couldn't believe they'd actually lost against Hufflepuff. And now she was worried she was about to get in an awful lot of trouble.

She almost jumped out of her skin when the door opened and Professor Lestrange stepped through.

"Though I'm sure you don't really care, the three boys are fine," she said. "I've heard what they have to say on the situation, but I would like to hear your side."

"They were being asses," Lauralie said.

"I'm sure they were. Was this about what happened at dinner?"

Lauralie didn't say anything.

"They would have me believe that you are just bitter that someone finally shamed the Slytherin House, but I'm sure that there is more to it than that."

"They were... teasing me."

"As I suspected. Well, I'm not punishing you," she said. "I brought you here because I needed to tell you something."

"Oh." Lauralie shifted in her chair. Although she was relieved that she wasn't in trouble, she felt awkward sitting while her teacher stood over her.

"There will be no administrative punishment issued for the cruel prank that occurred at dinner," she began. "The Headmaster and I visited the kitchens, but the house elves seemed to have no memory of anyone out of the ordinary paying them a visit."

"So, you don't know who did it?" Lauralie asked.

"No, but you do, don't you?"

"I have my personal list of suspects."

Lestrange smiled. She began to walk around Lauralie's chair, her long black robes swishing gently with each step she made.

"Good. Because things are out of my hands now, and it looks like the only ones who can redeem the Slytherin house are the Slytherins themselves." She placed a hand on Lauralie's shoulder. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Miss Black?"

"Yes, I do."

* * *

The Gryffindor common room had turned into an all out party. Remus and James had fetched food and drinks from the kitchens. Max Jordan had set up a stereo system by magically connecting his Wizarding Wireless to a magical megaphone. And Sirius and Peter had cleared all the armchairs to create a dance floor that was now packed full of celebrating students.

Sirius was dancing flamboyantly with a surprised Magdalene. James was talking about Quidditch with Duncan and a gaggle of Quidditch fans in the corner. His twin sister, Lindsay was basking in post-prank glory, talking to a couple fourth year boys next to the food table.

Remus nodded to her as he poured pumpkin juice into two paper cups. He brought one back to Lily, who was sitting in an armchair near the fire.

"It sure has been an interesting day," she said, taking the cup from him. She sniffed it dubiously as he sat in the fluffy maroon armchair across from her. "I'm not going to do something ridiculous if I drink his, am I?"

"I would hope not," Remus said.

* * *

When Lauralie emerged from Professor Lestrange's office, she was surprised to find that the hallway wasn't empty as she had expected. Standing opposite the doorway with his head bent forward so that his hair fell into his eyes was Severus. 

"Where were you?" The question burst from her lips. "I looked for you everywhere."

"I needed to check on something," he said as hey set off down the dark corridor towards the entrance to their common room. "I heard you jinxed a group of seventh years to within an inch of their lives, is that true?"

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Lauralie answered. "They were knocked out but I don't think they were quite at death's door. Besides, they deserved it. As if I had any control over my behavior at dinner, I shouldn't have to deal with their taunts."

"You aren't in trouble are you?" Severus asked. He rounded on her, looking concerned. "Why'd Lestrange want to talk to you?"

"I'm not expelled, if that's what you are worried about," she said. "But I do have something to tell you, but we have to find Narcissa and Lucius first."

"One step ahead of you, come on." He clasped one of his thin hands around her wrist and led her deeper into the dungeons, well past the stone snake that guarded their dormitories, and into an empty room.

There weren't even desks. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting cross-legged on the hard stone floor, their faces illuminated only by the flickering light of a lantern that sat in front of them.

"Finally," Lucius said. "You were taking so long I was sure she'd expelled you."

"What happened?" Narcissa asked.

"She's not punishing me. In fact, she as good as gave me permission to seek revenge against whoever pranked us," Lauralie explained. "She said that Dumbledore wasn't going to be punishing anyone for it because they didn't have any proof of who did it. The elves in the kitchen wouldn't tell them anything."

"That's because they were told not to," Severus said.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"I went to the kitchens and did a bit of investigation myself. You see the bloody elves view all of Hogwarts' tenants as masters, including us."

"So whoever did this told them to lie if a teacher asked?" Narcissa asked.

"Exactly. But they should have been more thorough and old them not to say anything to anyone," Severus said. "They told me that a boy and a girl came down there before dinner. The only name they caught was Duncan."

"The rotten McConaugha twins," Lucius said.

"So it was your brother's gang, Lauralie," Narcissa said.

"I suspected it was," she said. "Now all we need is a plan."

* * *

Although it was getting late, the Gryffindor common room had hardly began to clear out. Remus glanced at the clock, wondering how he would sneak out of the portrait hole without being spotted.

"I'm sure you will get an ear full about this the next time you talk to Lauralie," Lily said.

Remus' stomach did an uncomfortable somersault.

"That is if she's still talking to me."

"You think she'll blame you?"

"I don't know," he said. "We don't exactly have a good track record in this area."

"You'll be fine," she said. "You know, I'm kind of tired. Would it be rude if I just went to bed right now?"

"I wouldn't blame you," he said. "G'Night, Lily."

"Goodnight, Remus," she said. He watched her edge around the party and up the stairs.

He had half-considered ducking out the portrait hole right then. He didn't expect anyone would notice, but before he could even take a step forward he was blindsided by James.

"Looking a little lonely over here," James said. "You should mingle. Go talk to some pretty girls or something."

"That's okay," Remus said.

"What, none of them your type?" James asked. "What about Lindsay? She's pretty cool. She did an awesome job with the prank."

"Can I borrow your invisibility cloak?"

James' eyebrows shot up. "What for?"

"Maybe I need it to go talk to a pretty girl."

James grinned. "Oh, so _that's_ your type. So she isn't mad at you then?"

"I don't know. We'll see if she shows up," Remus said

"Good luck, man. Take the cloak, it's under my mattress."

"Thanks," Remus said. "Do me a favor; don't mention it to Sirius if you don't have to."

"Don't mention what to Sirius?"

The voice cut into their conversation like a whip and both boys fell silent. They turned to find that Lindsay had turned up when they weren't paying attention. For a split second nothing happened with the exception of her staring at them as they stared right back at her.

Then, both boys seemed to restart at the same moment.

"Nothing important."

"Miniscule stuff."

"Right," she said. She gazed from one to the other as if waiting for them to give up the charade.

"Well, Bridget is waving me over, so since you're retiring soon I'll just say goodnight now." He punched Remus in the shoulder. "Good job today, Lindsay."

And then he trotted back off to the Quidditch corner before she cold even say a slightly embarrassed "thanks".

Remus was itching to get moving, so when Lindsay turned to him again he felt a lurch of annoyance.

"You're going to bed soon?"

"Actually, I was on my way up there when James caught me."

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry if I offended you earlier in the Library. I didn't _really_ think you were hiding something," she said. "At least not something bad."

Remus became uncomfortably aware that Lindsay had shifted closer to him. She gazed up at him, waiting patiently for some sort of response. When he didn't deliver, she forged on.

"You are so mysterious. I'd love to get inside your head."

"There isn't anything particularly interesting in there, I assure you," he said.

"Somehow I doubt that."

He could not believe she was flirting with him.

"As much as I've always wanted to debate this point, I do need to go to sleep."

"Very well, go to bed."

* * *

The top of the Astronomy Tower was no more than a large oval with a hole where the spiral staircase came up through the cobble stones. The wall surrounding it came up nearly to Lauralie's waist. 

She spent the time she had there alone to cast an insulating spell over the walls and a heating spell for good measure. By the time Remus' head appeared at her shoulder the area was warm enough that Lauralie had taken off her cloak.

"I didn't know you had an Invisibility Cloak," she said, for his head was all she could see.

"Actually, I borrowed it from James," he said, letting it fall into a silvery puddle at his feet. "You've had a long day I'm sure."

"Understatement," she said as he settled down next to her, propping his bag up against his knee.

"I knew they were up to something," he said. "I just didn't know what."

"We don't even need to discuss it," she said. "Don't worry about it. Just tell me you have good news about the Diary."

He smiled. "Actually, I have great news. I figured out what it is. And I think I may know how to work it. Sort of. I found a reference in The Encyclopedia of Enchanted Items about books that could be used to store information and could be locked so that it could only be unlocked by a blood relative of the person who made it."

"Really? How would that work?"

"That's where it gets hazy. I'm not sure, because I needed you to find out. But most of them you activate by using a drop of blood to confirm your heritage."

He pulled the Diary out of his bag along with a pocket knife. He let the small book fall open to a random page and balanced it on Lauralie's knee and then held the knife out for her.

"You do it," she said, holding her hand out to him. He took it, trying to ignore the fact that his heart was now racing. He pricked her index finger as gently as he could.

As soon as the blood hit the page the small cursive writing vanished to be replaced with an image. But it was dark, and hard to make out. She leaned closer to it, trying to focus her eyes.

Then, without warning, she felt herself falling forward. She seized Remus' shirt to steady herself, but all this did was bring him with her as they both tumbled forward into darkness.

* * *

When Lauralie opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the man now sitting across from them. 

"He has your eyes," Remus said.

She jumped, releasing the sleeve of his robes. The man made no acknowledgement that they were there.

"Technically, I have his eyes. That's Salvatore Slytherin."

He wasn't quite what she had been expecting. In all of the portraits she'd seen of his father, the founder had been depicted with black hair and eyes to match.

Salvatore, on the other hand, had blond hair. It was even longer than Severus', reaching well past the young man's broad shoulders. His face was angular, with a well pronounced chin and a square jaw. And he had the same dark green eyes that she had. Both of which were focused on the Diary, which sat open in his lap.

He was wearing the Cloak of Destiny.

"Where d you suppose we are going?" Remus asked.

She finally tore her eyes away from Salvatore to look at their surroundings.

They were riding in a carriage furnished entirely in black. From the curtains around the windows to the cushions on the bench they were seated on. Lauralie could hear the steady beat of horses' hooves.

"I don't know," she said.

Trees blurred past the windows. They sat in silence for a while. After a few minutes the carriage came to a stop in front of a pair of enormous iron gates emblazoned with the letters G. G.

"Hang on, G. G.?" Remus said. "Godric Gryffindor?"

The gates creaked open and beyond them was a massive castle nearly the size of Hogwarts. The carriage pulled right up to the arched front door, which was guarded by two large stone lions.

A stuffy looking butler opened the door to the carriage.

"Hello, Young Master Slytherin," he said. "Lord Gryffindor is expecting you."

"We _are_ going to see Godric Gryffindor," Remus said. "Excellent."

"Come on, will you," Lauralie said. Salvatore had already stepped out and she didn't want the butler to close the door on them. She took Remus' hand and pulled him out just before the carriage door, sporting an ornately carved Slytherin crest, swung shut.

They followed Salvatore and the butler through the heavy front doors and into a drawing room off of the front hall where the butler informed Salvatore that his master would be with him soon.

It was then that Lauralie realized she was still holding Remus' hand. Suddenly it felt as if her insides were trying to escape. She used her urge to explore as an excuse to let go, walking over to the massive stained glass window that depicted a beautiful Phoenix rising from smoldering ashes.

"I can't believe we're in Godric Gryffindor's house," she said. "Or a memory of his house, for that matter."

The door opened again and there was no doubt in Lauralie's mind that the man who walked through it was Godric. He had straight brown hair, pulled back a silver metal band. He was wearing what she could only assume was _his_ Cloak of Destiny, which was a deep burgundy, with black velvet lining and gold trim. A sword jangled at his side.

Salvatore stood.

"Thank you for seeing me, Godric," he said, shaking the older man's hand.

"I'll always make time for my Godson," Godric replied.

"I'm concerned about my father's decision to leave his position at the school to Kyne," Salvatore said.

"As are we all. Unfortunately if Salazar has made up his mind I suspect we are powerless to change it."

"I refuse to accept that. My brother has become recklessly absorbed into the world of Dark Magic. I fear that he would only cause problems," Salvatore said. "And my father grows more ill with each passing day. Sometimes I suspect that my brother is helping his disease along in some way."

"Would he go so far?"

There was a moment of silence in which Remus and Lauralie exchanged surprised looks.

"You know that my brother has had some... progressive views on the direction Hogwarts is taking. Things he knows my father would never consent to, so he has never mentioned them to him. But he's been ready to take father's post for some time, and patience has never been one of Kyne's virtues."

"I would like to believe that he would not murder your father to keep Muggle born Wizards out of Hogwarts," Godric said.

Remus' mouth fell open at this, but he made no comment. He didn't want to miss a word of this.

"Kyne is power hungry. Father has power that he wants."

Godric fell silent.

"Salvatore, do you remember what I told you when you were studying under me at Hogwarts."

"You told me that I was destined for great things," Salvatore said.

"Your brother will become the head of Slytherin house at Hogwarts. He will take your father's seat at the Head Table. Perhaps he will go the wrong way, perhaps he won't. But if he does, you will be the one who repairs the damage. That is your destiny."

The room was beginning to dissolve around them. Lauralie had one last look at Salvatore, whose jaw seemed set with determination, before she felt herself tumbling through darkness once more.

* * *

They landed hard on the stone floor of the Astronomy Tower, the Diary lay opened in front of them. 

"I don't believe it," Remus said. "It wasn't Salazar Slytherin who started the whole pureblood mess, it was his son."

"And Gryffindor was Godfather to Slytherin's sons?" Lauralie asked. "I guess inter-house relations were going much better then."

Remus closed the Diary and handed it to her, along with his pocket knife.

"Now, I'm sure there's another way to access the memories other than dripping blood on the book every time. I just haven't figured it out yet."

"I can't thank you enough, Rem," she said. "I'll keep you updated, of course."

"I appreciate that," he said.

She stood, slipping her cloak back on. "See you tomorrow," she said. And then she vanished.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Can you believe it? Another chapter so soon?

YES. I'm on a delightful roll and it's continuing on right into chapter fifteen, which I'm already working on.

I completely re did my profile since I realized I haven't changed it in YEARS, theres a nice link in there for all you fans. So check it out.


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